wail 1 of 2

noun

Definition of wailnext
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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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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wail

2 of 2

verb

ˈwāl How to pronounce wail (audio)
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
as in to howl
to make a long loud mournful sound the women stood beside the coffins, wailing for their fallen sons and daughters

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3
as in to groan
to utter a moan the patient lay in her bed, occasionally softly wailing in pain

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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
Noun
Yell, scream, jeer, cry, wail, plead—but don’t dare do it while the players are still hitting the ball. — Corey Seymour, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026 The siren let out a deafening wail, and eight jumpers sprinted to nearby racks of gear. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
The bold clarity of the performances was energizing, but the wailing sometimes sounded like parody grief. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 Osama, donning his bulletproof blue press jacket and armed with his camera, is accosted by a woman wailing that 200 of her neighbors are gone. — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wail
  1. cry
  2. groan
  3. whine
  4. complain
  5. howl
  6. moan
  7. tears
  8. crying
Noun
  • Over cries of foul from those who came in person, the board’s attorney Shayla Myers announced the meeting was canceled because the Zoom channel had a capacity of only 1,000.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Angry but empathetic, frank in its darkness but refusing to wallow in it, Tip Toe is a cry of frustration that cuts right to the heart.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of cry
Noun
  • That brought groans from a commission where the complaints about the marketing plan outnumbered the defenses.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The good-natured hope from the fanbase dissolved into problematic groans as KC finished 69-93.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of groan
Noun
  • Our Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog saw them too and enthusiastically let out a small whine.
    — Kody Lostroh, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The mystic whine of Christine Ott and Mathieu Gabry’s score carries us into a hidden world of ancient Thai deities living inside the mountain’s caves and tunnels.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of whine
Verb
  • Some users have complained on social media that the agent accessed personal messages without authorization, which the company has disputed.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
  • In a 2023 memorandum obtained by Fox News Digital, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, who was then serving as the city council president, said residents complained about rodent infestations during a community meeting.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • The living room and bedrooms faced 96th, a crosstown corridor over which ambulances and police cars sped day and night, their sirens howling.
    — Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
  • At the Irish Rep, director Ciarán O’Reilly has brought O’Neill’s expressionist howl back for a swift, sturdy, smaller-scale revival that now feels unnervingly on-the-pulse.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of howl
Verb
  • For a cold moment the silence locked a grip on our table, though it was broken, at the edges, by the golf commentators moaning and harrumphing, Rory McIlroy having had a canary on a seventeenth fairway somewhere this championship Sunday.
    — Kevin Barry, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
  • By the time Fowler gave up trying to put one in Carruthers, DiLiberato could hear her client moaning and see blood oozing out of his puncture wounds.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of moan
Noun
  • Messi added a fitting score — his 126th career goal for Argentina on a penalty kick in the 70th minute to set off collective chanting of the beloved icon’s name and more tears.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • In the other van, Gen cries tears of pride and fulfillment after Aesha and Nathan praise her performance in the last charter.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of tears
Noun
  • Elementary school students may have tantrums, be clingy, have toileting accidents, engage in uncontrollable crying or become less talkative as a result of changes in schools, homes and caregivers.
    — Nikki R Wooten, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Heart attacks and strokes occur disproportionately following rejections, and rejected individuals often show symptoms that are typically associated with drug withdrawal, including anxiety, depression, crying, loss of appetite, and irritability.
    — George Loewenstein, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of crying

Phrases Containing wail

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Cite this Entry

“Wail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wail. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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