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wailed; wailing; wails
Synonyms
Example Sentences
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
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Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022
Air raid sirens occasionally wail, though far less than early in the war, when many people lived in bomb shelters.
Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2022
There are only so many ‘70s riffs to knock off, so many power ballads to wail on and so many references to weed one can make.
Eric Heisig, cleveland, 6 Aug. 2022
In summer, as their lands became parched, the tribes would send envoys to wail in distress at the Persian king’s palace doors; the king would then order one dam to be opened to benefit those who wailed loudest, and then the others in turn.
James Romm, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2022
Air raid sirens wail daily and the steady rumble of artillery can still be heard in the distance, but Ukrainian forces this month pushed Russian troops out of the eastern city of Kharkiv and beyond striking distance.
New York Times, 18 May 2022
Mothers wince, and babies wail, as tiny bodies with sores and protruding ribs are gently checked for signs of recovery.
Omar Faruk And Cara Anna, Anchorage Daily News, 8 June 2022
This time around, late April to May, the air raid sirens still wail in Kyiv, the random missile strikes nearby, but the bulk of Russia’s aggression has shifted to the east and south.
Greg Palkot, Fox News, 27 May 2022
But despite the staff’s best effort, Ms. Kanbar’s 2-year-old son started to cry and then wail as the registration went on, which in turn caused his older sister to join in before the staff could bring cookies to to console them.
New York Times, 12 Apr. 2022
Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2022
An engineer told us that during testing at the Nürburgring, the Z06's wail could be heard all the way around its lap.
Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 26 Oct. 2022
Within minutes, flames engulfed his 52-foot frame, turning the Texas idol into a funeral pyre before worried onlookers, who let out a collective wail when the conflagration consumed his once-beaming face.
Amanda Albee, Chron, 19 Oct. 2022
As the neutralizing shampoo dissolved every drop of the relaxer from my hair, there wasn’t a wince or a wail when the water ran over the tingling spots.
Nerisha Penrose, ELLE, 14 Oct. 2022
Others stand at the doors and wail, at times pounding on doors and walls while screaming to be released.
Dave Boucher, Freep.com, 13 Oct. 2022
Each day since has brought the wail of air-raid sirens, the screech of breaking glass and numbingly frequent moments of silence for the dead.
Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2022
In video verified by NBC News, the wail of sirens can be heard as huge flames licked up multiple stories of the building after it was set alight by the crash.
Phil Mccausland, NBC News, 17 Oct. 2022
Suddenly the sound of seagulls is temporarily drowned out by the mournful wail of the pipes.
Matt Tunseth For The Daily News, Anchorage Daily News, 31 May 2022
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Verb
Sirens started to wail in the streets as Russian missiles rained on downtown Kyiv.
Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022
Air raid sirens occasionally wail, though far less than early in the war, when many people lived in bomb shelters.
Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2022
There are only so many ‘70s riffs to knock off, so many power ballads to wail on and so many references to weed one can make.
Eric Heisig, cleveland, 6 Aug. 2022
In summer, as their lands became parched, the tribes would send envoys to wail in distress at the Persian king’s palace doors; the king would then order one dam to be opened to benefit those who wailed loudest, and then the others in turn.
James Romm, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2022
Air raid sirens wail daily and the steady rumble of artillery can still be heard in the distance, but Ukrainian forces this month pushed Russian troops out of the eastern city of Kharkiv and beyond striking distance.
New York Times, 18 May 2022
Mothers wince, and babies wail, as tiny bodies with sores and protruding ribs are gently checked for signs of recovery.
Omar Faruk And Cara Anna, Anchorage Daily News, 8 June 2022
This time around, late April to May, the air raid sirens still wail in Kyiv, the random missile strikes nearby, but the bulk of Russia’s aggression has shifted to the east and south.
Greg Palkot, Fox News, 27 May 2022
But despite the staff’s best effort, Ms. Kanbar’s 2-year-old son started to cry and then wail as the registration went on, which in turn caused his older sister to join in before the staff could bring cookies to to console them.
New York Times, 12 Apr. 2022
Noun
From the basement’s inner depths came the echo of a newborn’s wail.
Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2022
An engineer told us that during testing at the Nürburgring, the Z06's wail could be heard all the way around its lap.
Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 26 Oct. 2022
Within minutes, flames engulfed his 52-foot frame, turning the Texas idol into a funeral pyre before worried onlookers, who let out a collective wail when the conflagration consumed his once-beaming face.
Amanda Albee, Chron, 19 Oct. 2022
As the neutralizing shampoo dissolved every drop of the relaxer from my hair, there wasn’t a wince or a wail when the water ran over the tingling spots.
Nerisha Penrose, ELLE, 14 Oct. 2022
Others stand at the doors and wail, at times pounding on doors and walls while screaming to be released.
Dave Boucher, Freep.com, 13 Oct. 2022
Each day since has brought the wail of air-raid sirens, the screech of breaking glass and numbingly frequent moments of silence for the dead.
Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2022
In video verified by NBC News, the wail of sirens can be heard as huge flames licked up multiple stories of the building after it was set alight by the crash.
Phil Mccausland, NBC News, 17 Oct. 2022
Suddenly the sound of seagulls is temporarily drowned out by the mournful wail of the pipes.
Matt Tunseth For The Daily News, Anchorage Daily News, 31 May 2022
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These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wail.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Time Traveler
The first known use of wail was
in the 14th century
Articles Related to wail
Dictionary Entries Near wail
Cite this Entry
“Wail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wail. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.
More from Merriam-Webster on wail
Nglish: Translation of wail for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of wail for Arabic Speakers
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