wail

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

Synonyms of wail

• complain
• scream
• whine
• moan

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 on the Web

Piercing, unpredictable, wailing, the sirens could make anyone feel a little out of their mind. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 June 2026

On the soundtrack, mournful wailing music presents her as a tragic character. —Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 2 June 2026

Founders of Avatech’s mentee companies, seated in front of their laptops, clapped and banged their hands on tables to the distinctive stomp-stomp-clap beat of the song as an electric guitar wailed. —Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026

The final syllables accelerate into a blur, whereupon a ritual of wailing erupts. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

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

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