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
Example 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
Jen Chaney, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
The anthems, with all of their staid pomp and circumstance, were replaced by the faint wail of a synthesizer.
—Pablo Maurer, The Athletic, 6 July 2024
Raquel Carvalho, TIME, 5 Feb. 2025
By the grace of that wailing infant, the rest of us got to exist.
—Leslie Jamison, Travel + Leisure, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wail
Noun
Mark and Helly, drawn to the wails of what sounds like an infant, open a door inside the Lumon complex and discover an all-white room with baby goats frolicking on bales of hay and one being bottle-fed by a man in a suit.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
The anthems, with all of their staid pomp and circumstance, were replaced by the faint wail of a synthesizer.
—Pablo Maurer, The Athletic, 6 July 2024
Verb
The image of a wailing baby, spared from the bombing that claimed his parents in the apartment across the street, continues to haunt her.
—Raquel Carvalho, TIME, 5 Feb. 2025
By the grace of that wailing infant, the rest of us got to exist.
—Leslie Jamison, Travel + Leisure, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wail
Noun
-
The phrase became a MAGA rally cry and, in February 2025, it has been stamped on CPAC attendees’ shirts and jackets.—
Alex Hinton,
The Conversation,
21 Feb. 2025
-
For example, pain cries are often loud, high-pitched and harsh to grab the attention of listeners and elicit aid.—
Katarzyna Pisanski,
Scientific American,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Fritz revved the engine, a desperate, needling whine, and the vessel lurched down the airstrip, the chute billowing awake behind him.—
Nick Paumgarten,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Families fall asleep to the thump of nearby airstrikes and the constant whine of an Israeli drone overhead.—
Raf Sanchez,
NBC News,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Developers themselves have complained that their companies are not doing enough to weed out harassment online.—
Megan Farokhmanesh,
WIRED,
21 Feb. 2025
-
And no one can seem to stop complaining about it—lowering egg prices was even a primary talking point in Trump’s run for the presidency.—
Zoya Hasan,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
High winds buffeted the Atlantic Coast on Monday from Florida to Maine but the gusts into the 60s may have seemed like a gentle breeze compared to the howling winds at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
-
For now, the sun is down and the monkeys are howling.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Indianapolis Colts: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia GM Chris Ballard likely groaned as another top tight end was picked just before the Colts were on the clock for the second straight year.—
Zac Jackson,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Sure, there are cute ducks waddling around the encampment, but the groaning wind, dense forest, and unyielding mountains summon the series’ long-standing specter of pagan mysticism, as if the area were ruled by old gods who see the Wiskayok high-schoolers not as survivors but trespassers.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
None of these moans are intended to dismiss the importance of clever in-jokes and references to past adventures.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Tonally registering as if carved from a medium-hard piece of oak, his transparent deliveries — mellow whispers, conversational assertions, longing moans, resolute cries — served as effective vessels for those character sketches and autobiographical reflections.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
For example, many in the MAHA movement lament how the United States permits scores of pesticides and consumer product additives that are banned in Europe.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Strickland’s lament racked up 159,000 likes and 13.2 million views.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Preston Turano, a veterinarian and spokesperson at Felix Cat Insurance, told Newsweek that yelling, screaming, and physical punishment should never be used when training or communicating with your cat.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Moments after an emphatic two-handed jam in the closing seconds that sealed Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s 68-61 upset of Harvard-Westlake on Friday night in Studio City, Tyran Stokes clenched both fists, turned toward his teammates and screamed at the top of his lungs.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to wail
Cite this Entry
“Wail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wail. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share