wail

verb \ ˈwāl \

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

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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

So, conservatives aligned with such interests have been wailing that runaway inflation is just around the corner — and thus, the Fed should preemptively raise rates — for nearly a decade now.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Fed Chair Warns Trump to Not Roll Back Wall Street Regulations," 25 Aug. 2017
Speaking to news cameras on a lawn outside the court, Zeenat Ali Siddiqui, who was divorced by her husband through triple talaq in 2015, wailed with joy.

— vidhi doshi, Washington Post, "Muslim men in India could once divorce their wives by saying three words. Until now.," 22 Aug. 2017
On this mid-tempo rumbler, Lacey wails his insecurities in the starkest of terms.

— chris payne, Billboard, "Brand New's 'Science Fiction' Is a Dizzying, Legend-Making (and Potentially Career-Closing) Album," 18 Aug. 2017
Sure, their precious little face will get them a few brownie points, but the second that infant wakes up and starts wailing, all bets are off.

— stacey leasca, PEOPLE.com, "How to Avoid Sitting Next to a Baby on a Plane: 4 Travel Hacks from Frequent Flyers," 3 Aug. 2017
Engineer Paterson is especially proud of the muffler valves, which transition seamlessly between loud and soft modes without initiating booming or wailing sounds.

— don sherman, Car and Driver, "2018 Bentley Continental GT," 5 July 2017
The protagonist doesn't melodramatically rage and wail at the approaching end—

— steven strom, Ars Technica, "Persona 3’s ending made me appreciate all of life’s little endings," 24 June 2017
But his cello solos — which often explore the wailing upper range of his instrument — also embrace the microtonal quality in Arabic music.

— david patrick stearns, Philly.com, "At Painted Bride, a musical longing for the Damascus that was," 21 June 2017
The teakettle on Apollo’s stove is rattling and wailing.

— jennifer senior, New York Times, "In ‘The Changeling,’ the Dark Fears of Parents, Memorably Etched," 20 June 2017

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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