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
Luann is unfazed and unmoving, cigar in hand, fedora on her head, posing for the camera despite the woman wailing from beneath her ass. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026 There are times to speak and times to be silent, and times for people to cry, and even a time to wail. — Literary Hub, 22 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
  • Her friend’s cries mixed with the sound of police car sirens before officers arrived and escorted students and staff out the building.
    — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
  • When news got around that a new movie version of Sense and Sensibility was in the works, cries of dismay rang forth from Bath to Brooklyn.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 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
  • Yet publishers complained to me about a new consolidation of power.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Many people took to social media to complain about not being able to order taxis or food delivery.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of complain
Verb
  • Temperatures in the area were in the mid-90s and winds howled with gusts of up to 35 mph, a less-than-ideal situation for firefighters.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Temperature whiplash Saturday, chilly winds howl Temperatures will be in the 40s and 50s on Saturday morning, with winds gusting 25 to 35 mph.
    — Gregory Padgett, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of howl
Verb
  • It's been a big few months for Austin Abrams moaning and groaning his way through some of the worst situations imaginable.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of moan
Noun
  • One of us would be chosen to recite the poem onstage—a kitsch performance, no doubt, so that an auditorium of adults would be moved to tears.
    — Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The first days of testimony brought tears from witnesses, spectators and jurors, the 9th Street Journal reported.
    — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 13 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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