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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wailing
Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
The fever dream continued with Howard wailing on guitar and vocals, the production morphing into a beautiful stew of blues rock and given an exclamation point – and a standing ovation – with Copeland spinning out of the shadows.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
Israel’s technology system warns Israelis with mobile phone messages and wailing public alarms that provide an advanced notice of incoming Iranian missiles and drones.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
For five days, Nelsie Yang worried over the fate of her father’s younger brother, a beloved uncle removed from his home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the presence of his wailing children, one of whom has a genetic condition similar to Down syndrome.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
In Union City on Saturday, March 7, the purring and wailing of chainsaws was constant.
—Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Video obtained by The Associated Press showed the smoke with an alarm wailing, and a correspondent for French news agency AFP saw smoke rising from the diplomatic mission.
—March 2, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
That distinct lack of urgency from Washington stands in stark contrast to the anxiety in Moscow, where there has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth over the arms reduction issue.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
In the early twentieth century, on the Andaman Islands, social anthropologists observed ritualistic greetings that involved wailing and weeping.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 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
Subjecting them, and us, to a series of repetitive wailing sequences blunts any potential emotional sharpness.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
The fever dream continued with Howard wailing on guitar and vocals, the production morphing into a beautiful stew of blues rock and given an exclamation point – and a standing ovation – with Copeland spinning out of the shadows.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
Israel’s technology system warns Israelis with mobile phone messages and wailing public alarms that provide an advanced notice of incoming Iranian missiles and drones.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
For five days, Nelsie Yang worried over the fate of her father’s younger brother, a beloved uncle removed from his home by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the presence of his wailing children, one of whom has a genetic condition similar to Down syndrome.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
In Union City on Saturday, March 7, the purring and wailing of chainsaws was constant.
—Liam Rappleye, Freep.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Video obtained by The Associated Press showed the smoke with an alarm wailing, and a correspondent for French news agency AFP saw smoke rising from the diplomatic mission.
—March 2, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2026
That distinct lack of urgency from Washington stands in stark contrast to the anxiety in Moscow, where there has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth over the arms reduction issue.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
In the early twentieth century, on the Andaman Islands, social anthropologists observed ritualistic greetings that involved wailing and weeping.
—Shayla Love, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
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
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Verb
-
Brown voiced his frustrations with the Eagles’ passing offense during the regular season, then engaged in a screaming match with Sirianni during Philadelphia’s first-round playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Dashcam footage recently released by Staffordshire Police shows the teenagers screaming and asking Dawson, 50, to slow the car down.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Elsewhere, Paula Rego’s two self portraits from 2017 show the artist howling through expressive pastel strokes.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
-
When the evening kill was made, usually around 10 or 11 o’clock, howling would start again.—
Frank Glaser,
Outdoor Life,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But a male voice could be heard moaning in the background.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
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One minute later, Pedro Neto was yellow-carded for moaning.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Then, in the Andante movement, the upper strings opened with a glassy sound before the mournful line of the cello entered.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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Over the years, humpback whale songs have been recorded for human listening, with many describing the songs as having a haunting, mournful quality.—
Patrick Whittle,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This is why all the whining and complaining from small market teams across the sport is manipulative nonsense.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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There was crying, complaining, dissociating and even laughing on those couches.—
Wendy C. Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And knitting meant clumsily looping a strand of acrylic yarn onto the tip of a bamboo needle, groaning, then handing the project to my mother for help.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
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No amount of jazz playlists can stop him from glancing at his GPS, groaning as the ETA keeps getting pushed back.—
Connor Letourneau,
San Francisco Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One of the most famous artists in the world, Anselm Kiefer, installed a funeral pyre of nearly 300 of his works at Marian Goodman on West 57th Street, one of the more prestigious galleries at the time.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
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This fascinating doc explores the dilemma now facing the funeral industry and the many inventive solutions being pioneered.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wailing. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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