hail

1 of 5

noun (1)

1
: precipitation in the form of small balls or lumps usually consisting of concentric layers of clear ice and compact snow
2
: something that gives the effect of a shower of hail
a hail of rifle fire

hail

2 of 5

verb (1)

hailed; hailing; hails

intransitive verb

1
: to precipitate hail (see hail entry 1)
it was hailing hard
2
: to pour down or strike like hail
Bullets were hailing down on them.

hail

3 of 5

verb (2)

hailed; hailing; hails

transitive verb

1
a
: to greet with enthusiastic approval : acclaim
hailed as a great success
b
: salute, greet
returning soldiers hailed with parades
2
: to greet or summon by calling
hail a taxi

intransitive verb

: to call out
especially : to call a greeting to a passing ship
hailer noun

hail

4 of 5

interjection

1
used to express acclamation
hail to the chiefSir Walter Scott
2
archaic
used as a salutation

hail

5 of 5

noun (2)

1
: an exclamation of greeting or acclamation
greeted the emperor with a hail
2
: a calling to attract attention
3
: hearing distance
stayed within hail
Phrases
hail from
: to be or have been native to or a resident of
She hails from Chicago.

Examples of hail in a Sentence

Noun (1) a hail of small stones warned them of the oncoming avalanche even under the hail of angry questions, the press secretary stayed cool Verb (2) the museum director hailed the artist's new installation as a groundbreaking work of genius let's hail a taxi hailed the waiter for the check Noun (2) stay within hail of the restaurant's front desk so you'll know when your table is ready
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Dope Thief hails from Apple Studios and is being produced by Scott Free Productions, which has a first-look deal with Apple TV+. Denise Petski, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2025 The series hails from Ridley Scott, who directs the pilot and serves as an executive producer through his Scott Free production company. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2025
Noun
The migrants, heading from San Diego to San Jose, hail from China, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan, among other countries. Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2025 Fellows specialize in music from genres from folk to hip hop, and hail from countries like South Korea, Italy and the United States. Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hail

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English hægl; akin to Old High German hagal hail

Interjection, Verb (2), and Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old Norse heill, from heill healthy — more at whole

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Interjection

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hail was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Hail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hail. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

hail

1 of 5 noun
1
: small lumps of ice that fall from clouds sometimes during thunderstorms
2
: something that gives the effect of falling hail
a hail of bullets

hail

2 of 5 verb
1
: to fall as hail
2
: to pour down like hail

hail

3 of 5 interjection
1
used to express enthusiastic approval
2
archaic
used as a greeting

hail

4 of 5 verb
1
b
: to greet with enthusiastic approval : acclaim
hailed them as heroes
2
: to summon by calling
hail a taxi
3
: to call out to
hail a passing ship

hail

5 of 5 noun
1
: an act or instance of hailing
2
: hearing distance
stayed within hail
Etymology

Noun

Old English hægl "lumps of ice, hail"

Interjection

Middle English hail (an interjection of approval or greeting), derived from early Norse heill "healthy" — related to hale entry 1, wassail

More from Merriam-Webster on hail

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