as in to mourn
to feel or express sorrow for
her grandfather asked her not to wail for him, saying that he had had a good life and was at peace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wail (for)
Verb
-
Chickens form friendships and mourn the loss of flock mates.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026 -
Violette’s nostalgic invocation of the aesthetics of the late ’60s and early ’70s did not so much channel the utopianism of the counterculture as mourn its passing, returning again and again to the grave of the last mythic moment when radical change seemed possible.—
Rachel Wetzler,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The artist said the viral clip sparked a wide range of reactions online, with some viewers questioning the authenticity of the footage and others lamenting the destruction of the elaborate build.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Trump considered naming Warsh Fed chair in 2018 before ultimately choosing Powell, a choice that the President has since publicly lamented.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the Oscars performance, O’Hara sings with her eyes locked on Levy, projecting her character’s love, care, and regret all at once.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Despite the fallout from the council's move, members said didn't regret their actions.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Wail (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wail%20%28for%29. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
