as in weeping
expressing or suggesting mourning
a wailing quality in her voice that makes her a natural for country music
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in screaming
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the state's residents are always wailing about their high taxes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in moaning
to utter a moan
the patient lay in her bed, occasionally softly wailing in pain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of wailing
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Cassidy Sollazzo,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
Families broken Noemi, a Guatemalan mother and asylum seeker, stood in the parking lot at an ICE office north of Los Angeles, her three children wailing and clinging to her, glass from the family's car scattered at their feet.
—
Claudia Boyd-Barrett,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
In a heartbreaking scene outside the residence, as captured on video by ABC 7, family members are seen wailing and distraught, surrounded by police cars and neighbors.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
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
The final syllables accelerate into a blur, whereupon a ritual of wailing erupts.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
After fast-moving storms sent tornado sirens wailing across the Kansas City area late Thursday, residents will get a calmer stretch before a potentially more dangerous round of severe weather threatens the region this weekend, especially Sunday into Monday.
—
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Subjecting them, and us, to a series of repetitive wailing sequences blunts any potential emotional sharpness.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Sitting opposite an old people’s home in a residential corner of Paris’ 14th arrondissement, La Santé’s unassuming presence is only given away by the occasional wailing siren as prisoners are transported to and from the site.
—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
Those themes are compelling on paper, but they’re expressed through a confusing mix of abstraction and hyper-local specificity, hidden beneath biker rock riffs, and obscured through Allbrook’s wiry, wailing vocal delivery.
—
Cassidy Sollazzo,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
Families broken Noemi, a Guatemalan mother and asylum seeker, stood in the parking lot at an ICE office north of Los Angeles, her three children wailing and clinging to her, glass from the family's car scattered at their feet.
—
Claudia Boyd-Barrett,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
In a heartbreaking scene outside the residence, as captured on video by ABC 7, family members are seen wailing and distraught, surrounded by police cars and neighbors.
—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
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
The final syllables accelerate into a blur, whereupon a ritual of wailing erupts.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
After fast-moving storms sent tornado sirens wailing across the Kansas City area late Thursday, residents will get a calmer stretch before a potentially more dangerous round of severe weather threatens the region this weekend, especially Sunday into Monday.
—
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Subjecting them, and us, to a series of repetitive wailing sequences blunts any potential emotional sharpness.
—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
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.
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
Verb
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The couple’s relationship began with a friendship bracelet and a podcast shout-out in July 2023, and by September Swift was screaming profanities in support of her new favorite football player.
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As Rayan began screaming, al-Ajeen, whose family has long farmed in the area, picked up his son and began walking again.
Verb
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Then, just as suddenly, the din fades away, the focus shifts and the election process is forgotten until the next round of howling protest.
-
Gary ad-libbed to the sound of howling winds and ominous metal scraping.
Verb
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The process left Carruthers bleeding and moaning on May 21, according to the witness, Maria DeLiberato, senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union's Capital Punishment Project.
-
The stuff with a load of people wearing wigs moaning about taxes just isn’t seen as very glamorous.
Adjective
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The years have only intensified Zimmerman’s mournful, hushed vocal performance, and Dream Me a Dream often plays out like a bedtime story spun by a beloved elder, accompanied by soft strings, shakers, and even a synth or two.
-
The drama can stir up nostalgia and mournful emotions, and feels personal to many.
Verb
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But John Healey stepped down as defense secretary this month after complaining that Starmer was not moving fast enough to meet the target.
-
Still, some users are complaining online.
Verb
-
Despite the lack of goals, the game was exciting with end-to-end runs and missed chances that left fans of both teams groaning and burying their heads in their hands.
-
As though on cue, Wardrobe — my beloved, and giant, closet — shuffles over from the corner of my room, the mahogany wood groaning with the effort.
Adjective
-
Relatives of a woman discovered dead by her son with her neck slashed in the lobby of her Brooklyn apartment building are appealing to the public for help with funeral expenses.
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The fundraiser ultimately raised more than $88,000 AUD (about $62,000 USD) to cover funeral expenses, household bills and Axel's future needs.
Cite this Entry
“Wailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wailing. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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