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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wailing
Adjective
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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
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More than 28,000 customers were without power Wednesday morning as howling winds from a powerful winter storm blew through the Kansas City metro area, utilities reported.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Snow, howling winds expected to have highest impact The weather service said that a cold front would come crashing through the area Tuesday night, and dangerous northwest winds would build behind the front.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The band played somber hymns marking Good Friday, a mournful day during Holy Week.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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At the vigil, the atmosphere appeared to be both mournful and celebratory of Scooter’s life.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That first-round pick became Merriman (although, the Giants aren't complaining).—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
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The irony of the quintessential real estate expert buying a home in the flight path of an international airport, then complaining about the noise, is not lost on the rest of Palm Beach County.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Keeping with tradition, the Vatican’s health department verifies the pope’s death in his home, and his body is placed in a coffin and transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing, the funeral Mass and burial.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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The funeral mass will begin at 10am CET (1am PT) and take place on the parvis of Saint Peter’s Basilica, or the space in front of the basilica.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The whining about everyone else didn’t help, either.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2024
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Stop whining and thank your lucky stars for having a job.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The recent tragic helicopter crash into the Hudson River, which claimed six lives, has left our city heartbroken and once again grappling with difficult questions about public safety and aviation policy.—
Keith Powers,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2025
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The heartbroken couple spent days looking for Valerie but eventually had to return to their lives in Broken Hill, New South Wales.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Wailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wailing. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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