1
as in cry
a crying out in grief
a prolonged wail arose from every corner of the city as the victims of the earthquake were unearthed from the rubble
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in groan
a long low sound indicating pain or grief
rescuers heard a faint wail coming from the pile of rubble, a sure sign that one of the victims was still alive
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3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
a transit fare increase that is sure to bring wails from the straphangers
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1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the state's residents are always wailing about their high taxes
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2
3
as in to groan
to utter a moan
the patient lay in her bed, occasionally softly wailing in pain
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of wail
Olivia Petter, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2024
Digital was the future, analog was doomed to extinction, the plaintive and few wails from people like me that analog sounded better drowned out in the digital thunder.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 11 Dec. 2024
Families wept and wailed as officials read off the names of the victims who died on Sunday, Dec. 29 at Muan International Airport, where the crash occurred, according to CNN and NBC News.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wail 
Noun
Cue more sofa wails and pitying looks at family gatherings when relatives ask you about your love life.
—Olivia Petter, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2024
Digital was the future, analog was doomed to extinction, the plaintive and few wails from people like me that analog sounded better drowned out in the digital thunder.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
Verb
Yet there is no indication in the new trailer that the Sirens will wail for long.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 11 Dec. 2024
Families wept and wailed as officials read off the names of the victims who died on Sunday, Dec. 29 at Muan International Airport, where the crash occurred, according to CNN and NBC News.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wail
Noun
-
Americans responded to the cries of hunger in Ethiopia.—
William Lambers,
Hartford Courant,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth’s opening statement was repeatedly interrupted by several protesters who were swiftly removed from the hearing room after disturbing his confirmation proceedings with shouts and cries.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The ragged metallic roaring scream of a Boeing 727 ascending eastward, a high-pitched whine building to a thundering roar, fading to a drone.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
-
When in use, the motor produced a slightly audible whistle/whine.—
John Timmer,
Ars Technica,
4 Apr. 2024
Verb
-
Many residents at the town hall complained about feeling unsafe at their local Giant or Weis supermarkets, seeing panhandlers, loitering and graffiti in and around these areas.—
Racquel Bazos,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Jan. 2025
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Some of the agency’s top Middle East diplomats complained in private that they were sidelined by Biden’s National Security Council.—
Brett Murphy,
ProPublica,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Gerald Giraffe Wendy Wolf Wendy is an energetic wolf who loves to howl.—
Elisa Cinelli,
Parents,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Fearsome winds are howling across Southern California.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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On sports talk shows and social media, commentators, fans and players alike groaned about the voter.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Thirty minutes later, the Sun reported, medics still had not tended to a distraught woman half-buried by the shattered stands, groaning, with both legs apparently broken.—
Mike Klingaman,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The ultimate effect is paradoxical: the more that Valéry eliminates the ghost of pain and passion from the logical machinery of his work, the starker and more affecting the moans and cries of the ghost become.—
Benjamin Kunkel,
The New Yorker,
9 Dec. 2024
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Against Notre Dame, the collective moan in the Coliseum with yet another last-minute loss because of Riley’s poor play calling was the breaking point for this lifelong Trojan.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Dec. 2024
Noun
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This is a weaker attempt to crossbreed the classic Universal monsters with contemporary anxieties: a post-pandemic lockdown lament about the impossibility of protecting children from fear.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2025
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Much to the lament of American enthusiasts, Mercedes ceased production of the E 63 S wagon last year, which has helped to keep values high.—
Christian Gilbertsen,
Robb Report,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Are we meant to sympathize with this creature as people scream in terror and call it a monster and attack it and scream for it to be shot?—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
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Ahmad would scream in terror, afraid of something beyond his family’s perception.—
Alia Malek,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Wail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wail. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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