hail

1 of 5

noun (1)

1
: precipitation in the form of small balls or lumps usually consisting of concentric layers of clear ice and compact snow
2
: something that gives the effect of a shower of hail
a hail of rifle fire

hail

2 of 5

verb (1)

hailed; hailing; hails

intransitive verb

1
: to precipitate hail (see hail entry 1)
it was hailing hard
2
: to pour down or strike like hail
Bullets were hailing down on them.

hail

3 of 5

verb (2)

hailed; hailing; hails

transitive verb

1
a
: to greet with enthusiastic approval : acclaim
hailed as a great success
b
: salute, greet
returning soldiers hailed with parades
2
: to greet or summon by calling
hail a taxi

intransitive verb

: to call out
especially : to call a greeting to a passing ship
hailer noun

hail

4 of 5

interjection

1
used to express acclamation
hail to the chiefSir Walter Scott
2
archaic
used as a salutation

hail

5 of 5

noun (2)

1
: an exclamation of greeting or acclamation
greeted the emperor with a hail
2
: a calling to attract attention
3
: hearing distance
stayed within hail
Phrases
hail from
: to be or have been native to or a resident of
She hails from Chicago.

Examples of hail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Scott Faber, senior vice president of the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group that pushed to ban asbestos, hailed the EPA action. Matthew Daly, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024 Here’s everything to know about Keanu Reeves' parents, Patricia Taylor and Samuel Nowlin Reeves Jr. Keanu’s mom is English and his dad was Chinese and Hawaiian Keanu's mother Patricia hails from England, while his father Samuel was Chinese and Hawaiian. Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 Downey has been hailed throughout the award season for his performance. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2024 What happened to Gig in Sacramento? Vehicle sharing has been hailed as a key climate solution to reduce planet-warming pollution for years. Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 The change was similarly hailed as beneficial for expanding student body diversity and the primary care workforce. Tricia Pendergrast, STAT, 7 Mar. 2024 Lil Tecca: The rising-star rapper, who hails from Queens and (later) Long Island, has had three albums and one mixtape make it into the top 20 of the Billboard 200. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 Jean Jacques, who hails from the coastal city of Port-de-Paix, is desperate to bring his brother’s children to the United States. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Researchers involved in this discovery hailed from around the world, including Scotland, Germany, America and China. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024
Noun
Thunderstorms and small hail are also possible on Tuesday. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2024 Land spouts and pea-sized hail were expected in those regions. Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 If conditions allow, the thunderstorms could bring gusty winds, brief heavy showers, dry lightning and small hail Monday afternoon and evening over a large swath of southwest California as a low pressure system moves in from the east. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Another isolated thunderstorm that developed east of Apache Junction midday was also moving south and was expected to bring small hail, locally heavy rainfall and gusty winds to the lower east Valley. Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 17 Mar. 2024 Colorado weather map Lighting, hail and tornadoes possible along Central Plains Downpours and severe thunderstorms are forecast to reach the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley on Thursday, the weather service reported. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 Golden State committed only three real turnovers in the first half, with a fourth being a meaningless Draymond Green hail mary pass in the waning seconds of the first quarter. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Possible strong to severe storms may hit the Dallas-Fort Worth area later this evening bringing with it threats of large hail and damaging winds, according to the National Weather Service Fort Worth office. David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 Some strong storms with heavy downpours, gusty winds and small hail are possible, the weather service said. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English hægl; akin to Old High German hagal hail

Interjection, Verb (2), and Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old Norse heill, from heill healthy — more at whole

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Interjection

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hail was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hail

Cite this Entry

“Hail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hail. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hail

1 of 5 noun
1
: small lumps of ice that fall from clouds sometimes during thunderstorms
2
: something that gives the effect of falling hail
a hail of bullets

hail

2 of 5 verb
1
: to fall as hail
2
: to pour down like hail

hail

3 of 5 interjection
1
used to express enthusiastic approval
2
archaic
used as a greeting

hail

4 of 5 verb
1
b
: to greet with enthusiastic approval : acclaim
hailed them as heroes
2
: to summon by calling
hail a taxi
3
: to call out to
hail a passing ship

hail

5 of 5 noun
1
: an act or instance of hailing
2
: hearing distance
stayed within hail
Etymology

Noun

Old English hægl "lumps of ice, hail"

Interjection

Middle English hail (an interjection of approval or greeting), derived from early Norse heill "healthy" — related to hale entry 1, wassail

More from Merriam-Webster on hail

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