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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wailing
Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
In the video, cars are heard honking, sirens are wailing and people are blowing whistles.
—Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026
Chez and his father continue to grapple, with the officers ordering the father to back away as Chez’s panicked mother started wailing in the apartment.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Haunting last scene with Cami and the coyotes wailing in grief.
—William Earl, Variety, 30 Nov. 2025
The room just was full of wailing.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
The video showed smoke engulfing the area, with Palestinian women wailing as men carry extinguishers and water buckets in a scramble to douse the fires.
—Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 13 Nov. 2025
Rather than atop fire station roofs, sirens would be placed along areas prone to flash flooding that have both tone and voice capacity, Brissie said, allowing officials to broadcast a wailing alarm or spoken instructions.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs.
—David Greig
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
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
The despondent faces and the screaming, wailing and pleading from these men, women and children – reportedly as young as 5 years old – will forever haunt me.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026
In the video, cars are heard honking, sirens are wailing and people are blowing whistles.
—Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 9 Jan. 2026
Chez and his father continue to grapple, with the officers ordering the father to back away as Chez’s panicked mother started wailing in the apartment.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Haunting last scene with Cami and the coyotes wailing in grief.
—William Earl, Variety, 30 Nov. 2025
The room just was full of wailing.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025
The video showed smoke engulfing the area, with Palestinian women wailing as men carry extinguishers and water buckets in a scramble to douse the fires.
—Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 13 Nov. 2025
Rather than atop fire station roofs, sirens would be placed along areas prone to flash flooding that have both tone and voice capacity, Brissie said, allowing officials to broadcast a wailing alarm or spoken instructions.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
Karaoke on Ambience mainly consists of elderly monk-like men croaking out album tracks by Black Sabbath, and grey haired women wailing out ABBA songs.
—David Greig
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
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
-
Under the watchful eye of sheriffs deputies who threatened to ticket anyone caught standing in the road, along with a small number of National Guard members, the protesters took turns screaming swears and warming up in nearby parked cars.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
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An exodus of prosecutors who didn’t care for his staff screaming sessions and boorish press conferences.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The poll comes as the ballot measure proposal, which is being pushed by the health care worker labor union SEIU-UHW, draws howling fury from some vocal billionaires who have threatened to leave the state and, in some cases, taken steps toward divesting from California.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Whitman’s howling yodel and clean-cut persona were a far cry from the sound Presley had been rehearsing.—
Joe Sills,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While Slot was moaning about having to play two away matches in four days (and about missing a couple of key players), Emery, also without important figures such as Boubacar Kamara, was overseeing his Villa side playing the same tough schedule and win both games without conceding a goal.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
While lying on the pavement, he could be heard moaning as an officer shouted at him not to move.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
13 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
McGuire’s goal here is entertainment (achieved) but his empathetic treatment of the indigenous tribes the English come into contact and conflict with gives his novel a mournful air of tragedy.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Adapted from Denis Johnson’s novella, Train Dreams stars Joel Edgerton in an elegiac, mournful portrait of a logger at the turn of the century.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But the same town also was sued in November by Stillson LLC, a company complaining because zoners approved an 8-30g project.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
11 Jan. 2026
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From bartenders in Virginia-Highland to servers in Alpharetta, several employees of food and drink businesses reported customers complaining about water that tastes like mildew.—
Sheeka Sanahori - For the AJC,
AJC.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The color of the sort of deep bruising normally associated with OSHA violations, Chicago’s uniforms herald long periods of bed rest and a night table groaning from the weight of so many prescription painkillers.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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That legendary multiyear circumnavigation, a 45-minute sequence marked by paranoia, hallucinations, death, disease, starvation, groaning silence and crushing despair, makes for one of the most casually brutal depictions of transoceanic voyaging ever committed to film.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The page has raised over $14,000 in donations with a goal of $18,000 to cover funeral costs.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Five bikers have been indicted in connection to a bloody brawl between the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club and Demons of Hell Motorcycle Club that began at a funeral service on Long Island.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wailing. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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