wail

1 of 2

verb

ˈwāl 

wailed; wailing; wails

intransitive verb

1

: to express sorrow audibly : lament

2

: to make a sound suggestive of a mournful cry

3

: to express dissatisfaction plaintively : complain

transitive verb

1

: to say or express plaintively

wailed that her cake was ruined

2

archaic : bewail

wailer

ˈwā-lər 

noun

wail

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a usually prolonged cry or sound expressing grief or pain

b

: a sound suggestive of wailing

the wail of an air-raid siren

c

: a querulous expression of grievance : complaint

2

: the act or practice of wailing : loud lamentation

Synonyms

Verb

• complain
• scream
• whine
• moan

Noun

• cry
• tears
• lamentation
• groan
• howl
• mourning
• moan
• lament
• weeping
• sob
• keen

Examples of wail in a Sentence

Verb

The child started wailing after she stumbled and fell.

A saxophone wailed in the background.

“No! I don't want to go!” he wailed.

She wailed that the vacation was ruined.

Noun

the wail of a siren

a prolonged wail arose from every corner of the city as the victims of the earthquake were unearthed from the rubble

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

As heavy rain triggered flash flood warnings along the Guadalupe River in Texas Hill Country early Friday, the small unincorporated town of Comfort had something its neighbors upriver in Kerr County didn’t: wailing sirens urging residents to flee before the water could swallow them. —Jon Schuppe, NBC news, 8 July 2025

Another video starts with the sounds of a woman wailing behind a truck in West L.A. —Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025

Noun

Thousands of cell phone lights and ear-piercing wails accompanied it. —Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

So, Nan is nowhere near over Guy, and making things more awkward, Theo can hear his wife’s wails on the other side of the door. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 25 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English weilen, waylen, perhaps modification (influenced by Middle English weilawei wellaway) of Old Norse væla, vāla to wail; akin to Old Norse vei woe — more at woe

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for wail

• ail
• ale
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail

Kids Definition

wail

1 of 2 verb

ˈwā(ə)l 

1

: to express sorrow by mournful cries : lament

2

: to make a sound like a mournful cry

3

: to express dissatisfaction : complain

wailer

ˈwā-lər 

noun

wail

2 of 2 noun

1

: a long cry or sound of grief or pain

2

: a sound like a wail

the wail of a siren