wail

verb \ ˈwāl \

Updated on: 18 May 2018

Definition of wail

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 archaic : bewail

2 : to say or express plaintively

wailed that her cake was ruined

—

wailer

play \ˈwā-lər\ noun

See wail defined for English-language learners

See wail defined for kids

Examples of wail in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of wail from the Web

Ismail Radwan, a senior Hamas figure, said the mass border protests would continue ‘‘until the rights of the Palestinian people are achieved.’’ Throughout the day, sirens wailed as the wounded were carried to ambulances.

— BostonGlobe.com, "55 Palestinians killed, hundreds wounded from Israeli fire amid embassy move," 15 May 2018
Throughout the day, sirens wailed as the wounded were carried to nearby ambulances.

— Time, "Dozens Killed in Gaza as U.S. Embassy Opens in Jerusalem," 14 May 2018
Sirens wailed and music blared from loudspeakers set up to encourage the protesters.

— laura king, latimes.com, "Celebration in Jerusalem as U.S. moves embassy, bloodshed in Gaza as dozens of Palestinians killed," 14 May 2018
Sirens were constantly wailing as the wounded were carried to nearby ambulances.

— fares akram ilan ben zion, The Christian Science Monitor, "US embassy opens in Jerusalem as dozens killed in Gaza," 14 May 2018
The hearing was briefly interrupted late Tuesday when a female relative of Jones wailed, screamed, stood up and slammed her cellphone to the floor as a medical examiner discussed his autopsy.

— Washington Post, "Judge to rule within month on officer’s shooting of motorist," 8 May 2018
Four blocks away, speakers at a rally organized by the pro-gun-law-reformers NoRA — or No Rifle Association — wailed against the NRA’s influence in Washington and called for stricter gun laws.

— rick jervis, USA TODAY, "Voices: NRA convention showcased a lot of yelling from both sides, and a lack of honest debate," 7 May 2018
Singer Sam Nelson Harris’ wailing vocals accompany piano riffs and drum elements, offering a lyric-less accompaniment to the classical music.

— National Geographic, "How to Create a Music Score for Our Planet," 19 Apr. 2018
The ondes martinot — that weird, wailing, science fiction-y electronic instrument so beloved by Messiaen — is judiciously employed to convey a bit of haunted house flavor.

— joshua kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘The Exterminating Angel’ dazzles in PBS broadcast," 27 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of wail

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

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