wailing 1 of 2

wailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wail
1
2
as in howling
to make a long loud mournful sound the women stood beside the coffins, wailing for their fallen sons and daughters

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wailing
Adjective
  • And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
    David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Verb
  • The name Wolf Moon comes from the sound of wolves howling during this season, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 27 Dec. 2024
  • This includes destructive behavior such as chewing and destroying furniture as well as things like howling and barking.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Outwardly glassy but mournful on the inside, the film is a fairly overt expression of grief — one that’s even more acute coming out just a year after 9/11.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Sunday's mournful cowboy funeral is attended only by his family, the bunkhouse crew, and three close friends.
    Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The Buccaneers started complaining to the officials about fouls.
    CJ Moore, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
  • That first-round pick became Merriman (although, the Giants aren't complaining).
    Ryan Morik, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Their son Donny attended to all of the funeral arrangements with the help of his wife Jan, a nurse, and his daughters Andrea and Alicia.
    Phil Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
  • The funeral mass in Quincy’s Sacred Heart Church will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
    Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 31 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The whining about everyone else didn’t help, either.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Stop whining and thank your lucky stars for having a job.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Our community is heartbroken and our hearts go out to everyone that's been impacted.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
  • La Plata Youth Soccer Association and FC Charles 1658 posted on social media applauding his support for their teams and expressing how heartbroken the community was.
    Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near wailing

Cite this Entry

“Wailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wailing. Accessed 17 Feb. 2025.

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