WAILFULLY Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

wailfully

adverb

as in sadly

with feelings of bitterness or grief the lost child wailfully kept asking for his mother

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wailfully

Adverb

Dementia is clearly a big problem, and yet, sadly, our politicians — both Democrats and Republicans — talk about it not like adults, but like schoolyard bullies.

— Jason Karlawish, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026
Teeny, along with several other animals, was surrendered to the Arizona Humane Society after their own was sadly evicted from their residence.

— Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of sadly

Adverb

In the case of severe winds during bitterly cold weather, look for elk on leeward slopes where they’re offered some protection.

— Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Homer Hill, as the name suggests, is also at no little altitude, and bitterly exposed to the elements when winter arrives.

— Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of bitterly

Adverb

Using the color barrier in American baseball as a narrative bridge to the challenges facing a fictional English women's soccer team felt painfully forced and over-the-top.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
And they still got burned in ways that Dodger fans will find painfully familiar.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of painfully

Adverb

Fra Fee, as Joe, has a slightly harder task, since his role is almost entirely reactive; while Ethan bangs on mournfully about, effectively, the dangers of shagging your brother’s wife — well, who would have thought?

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2026
Mayfield watched mournfully in his kitchen while the rest of the family sat in the living room with the big screen next to a Christmas tree.

— John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026

Definition of mournfully

Adverb

Vucic has pushed hard against the protesters, sparking international concern over police violence and arbitrary detentions.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
From a security standpoint, verifying political senders can help make impersonation harder.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of hard

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.

Browse Nearby Words

wail (for)

wailfully

wailing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Wailfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wailfully. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of wailfully

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

aggrandize

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes