wailed; wailing; wails
1
: to express sorrow audibly : lament
2
: to make a sound suggestive of a mournful cry
3
: to express dissatisfaction plaintively : complain
1
: to say or express plaintively
wailed that her cake was ruined
2
archaic
: bewail
plural -s
: one that wails
specifically
: a professional mourner
Examples of wail in a Sentence
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 (1)
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Matt Reigle Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
My little guy went from kicking the light-up piano with his tiny tootsies to sitting up and wailing away.
—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
1 July 2026
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Three species of bats inhabit the site, and supernatural events—including the appearance of the gamekeeper’s ghost and the wail of a banshee—have been reported.
—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wail
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Verb
And what better way to celebrate than by having two women throw on boxing mitts and wail on each other in the middle of a street?
—
Matt Reigle Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
2 July 2026
My little guy went from kicking the light-up piano with his tiny tootsies to sitting up and wailing away.
—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
1 July 2026
Noun
After a second of consideration, Naim slams the grate shut to the monster’s wails, and the audience’s relief.
—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Three species of bats inhabit the site, and supernatural events—including the appearance of the gamekeeper’s ghost and the wail of a banshee—have been reported.
—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for wail
Cite this Entry
“Wail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wail. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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