wail

1 of 2

verb

ˈwāl 

wailed; wailing; wails

intransitive verb

1

: to express sorrow audibly : lament

2

: to make a sound suggestive of a mournful cry

3

: to express dissatisfaction plaintively : complain

transitive verb

1

: to say or express plaintively

wailed that her cake was ruined

2

archaic : bewail

wailer

ˈwā-lər 

noun

wail

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a usually prolonged cry or sound expressing grief or pain

b

: a sound suggestive of wailing

the wail of an air-raid siren

c

: a querulous expression of grievance : complaint

2

: the act or practice of wailing : loud lamentation

Synonyms

Verb

• beef
• bellyache
• bitch
• bleat
• carp
• caterwaul
• complain
• crab
• croak
• fuss
• gripe
• grizzle
• grouch
• grouse
• growl
• grumble
• grump
• holler
• inveigh
• keen
• kick
• kvetch
• maunder [chiefly British]
• moan
• murmur
• mutter
• nag
• repine
• scream
• squawk
• squeal
• whimper
• whine
• whinge [British]
• yammer
• yawp
• yaup
• yowl

Noun

• groan
• howl
• keen
• lament
• lamentation
• moan
• plaint

Examples of wail in a Sentence

Verb

The child started wailing after she stumbled and fell.

A saxophone wailed in the background.

“No! I don't want to go!” he wailed.

She wailed that the vacation was ruined.

Noun

the wail of a siren

a prolonged wail arose from every corner of the city as the victims of the earthquake were unearthed from the rubble

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The action can be tricky to track, and sometimes the material veers into lull territory, but Noone’s writing offers Williams plenty of opportunity to wail all over the stage, playing the audience like a uilleann pipe. —David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024

Plus, Watt & Smith Steakhouse gives the former – who can wail like Roger Daltrey, sneer like David Bowie and growl like Gregg Allman – a chance to step out from behind the boards and up to the mic. —Joe Lynch, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2024

Noun

Over the wail of the train’s brakes, a guitarist burst into song, his voice clear and mellow. —Monisha Rajesh, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024

Everything is quiet except the torturous, repetitive wail of the caller. —Britta Lokting, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English weilen, waylen, perhaps modification (influenced by Middle English weilawei wellaway) of Old Norse væla, vāla to wail; akin to Old Norse vei woe — more at woe

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

wail

1 of 2 verb

ˈwā(ə)l 

1

: to express sorrow by mournful cries : lament

2

: to make a sound like a mournful cry

3

: to express dissatisfaction : complain

wailer

ˈwā-lər 

noun

wail

2 of 2 noun

1

: a long cry or sound of grief or pain

2

: a sound like a wail

the wail of a siren