wailed; wailing; wails
1
: to express sorrow audibly : lament
2
: to make a sound suggestive of a mournful cry
3
: to express dissatisfaction plaintively : complain
1
: to say or express plaintively
wailed that her cake was ruined
2
archaic
: bewail
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
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2026
The fever dream continued with Howard wailing on guitar and vocals, the production morphing into a beautiful stew of blues rock and given an exclamation point – and a standing ovation – with Copeland spinning out of the shadows.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
But their loud wail, which can be activated via a mobile app, can be heard about half a mile away.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wail
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
The play’s climactic title song is unquestionably a banger, with all the energy of a Bourbon Street funeral and an especially wonderful performance by Reginald Chapman wailing on the trombone.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2026
The fever dream continued with Howard wailing on guitar and vocals, the production morphing into a beautiful stew of blues rock and given an exclamation point – and a standing ovation – with Copeland spinning out of the shadows.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
The Israeli military and the Home Front Command have increasingly sought to communicate the danger of these bomblets to the Israeli public, urging people to remain in shelters for several minutes after the wail of the sirens has faded, until the all-clear is given.
—Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
But their loud wail, which can be activated via a mobile app, can be heard about half a mile away.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wail
Cite this Entry
“Wail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wail. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
