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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
a transit fare increase that is sure to bring wails from the straphangers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to complain
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
3
as in to groan
to utter a moan
the patient lay in her bed, occasionally softly wailing in pain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of wail
Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
And then, with a wail and a squeak, the train performed a Z-reverse, backing up the road as cyclists and walkers stood idle, an arm’s reach from the windows.
—Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2024
Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2024
In June of 2018, ProPublica obtained audio that had been recorded in a Border Patrol facility of wailing children who had been separated from their parents.
—Mica Rosenberg, ProPublica, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wail 
Noun
This is very similar—the growling wail (my favorite of his three personas) comes on periodically and doesn’t cease for hours.
—Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
And then, with a wail and a squeak, the train performed a Z-reverse, backing up the road as cyclists and walkers stood idle, an arm’s reach from the windows.
—Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2024
Verb
Meanwhile, Max can be heard wailing in his bassinet.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2024
In June of 2018, ProPublica obtained audio that had been recorded in a Border Patrol facility of wailing children who had been separated from their parents.
—Mica Rosenberg, ProPublica, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wail
Noun
-
Social media users were left hysterical by the Frenchie's dramatic reaction and related to the loud cries.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
-
The vegan scoop shop is the latest to issue a rallying cry to customers amid challenging economic conditions.Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Fittingly, its most art-averse detractors responded with an awful lot of whine.Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2024
-
Moreover, as the ramp winched open, the pilots would have experienced a sudden drop in temperature and heard a deafening roar above the whine of the Skyvan’s engines.Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Girding for battle at USC Pay is at the center of union organizing at USC, where non-tenure track professors complain of semester-to-semester contracts with little job security, minimal or nonexistent raises and moves by the university to cut benefits.Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
-
If corporate leaders complain about these directives’ effects on their bottom lines, Trump’s team could force CISA to scale back its use of this authority.Eric Geller, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Macron arrived shortly after the Associated Press and other journalists from outside were able to reach Mayotte to provide accounts from survivors of the horror over the weekend, when winds howled above 136 mph and peeled the roofs and walls from homes that collapsed around the people inside.Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
-
When Democrats howled, Republicans reminded them of their own long history of power grabs.Christopher Cooper / Made by History, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The more desperate the Count is to feast on Ellen, the more intense her nightmares become; resulting in the kind of eye-rolling, softly groaning fits often associated with the eroticized vampire genre.Leah Dolan, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
-
In many households, the sign of a good meal is people slumped on the couch with their pants unbuttoned, groaning from eating entirely too much, but still occasionally snacking on whatever food is closest to them.Chris Morris, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
But these laments seemed to reach a crescendo during the Biden administration, which was seen as too focused on the United States’ growing rivalry with Beijing and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East to devote even minimal bandwidth to its southern neighbors.Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
-
Opponents lament diverting taxpayer funding from public schools to private ones and point to examples of misuse of funds, like buying dune buggies.Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 2 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
This mix of bright green, blue, pink, and pink in a chrome finish by celebrity nail artist Britney Tokyo just screams NYE party.Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2024
-
There’s also an experimental score by Daniel Blumberg made of bangs and piano plinks and noises that sound like a dozen balloons screaming.Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to wail
Thesaurus Entries Near wail
Cite this Entry
“Wail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wail. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share