wail

1 of 2

verb

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 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

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
Rocket sirens wailed constantly in northern Israeli towns, sending residents running for shelter, as Hezbollah kept up its cross-border fire. Timour Azhari and Ari Rabinovitch, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024 Air raid sirens wailed with Hezbollah warning this is just a preview of what's to come. ABC News, 22 Sep. 2024
Noun
And then, with a wail and a squeak, the train performed a Z-reverse, backing up the road as cyclists and walkers stood idle, an arm’s reach from the windows. Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2024 Someone — a man? — straight-up wails like a professional mourner. Molly Fitzpatrick, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wail 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wail.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of wail was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near wail

Cite this Entry

“Wail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wail. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

wail

1 of 2 verb
1
: to express sorrow by mournful cries : lament
2
: to make a sound like a mournful cry
3
: to express dissatisfaction : complain
wailer 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

More from Merriam-Webster on wail

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