wailing 1 of 2

wailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wail
1
2
as in howling
to make a long loud mournful sound the women stood beside the coffins, wailing for their fallen sons and daughters

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wailing
Adjective
  • And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
    David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Verb
  • More than 28,000 customers were without power Wednesday morning as howling winds from a powerful winter storm blew through the Kansas City metro area, utilities reported.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Snow, howling winds expected to have highest impact The weather service said that a cold front would come crashing through the area Tuesday night, and dangerous northwest winds would build behind the front.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The band played somber hymns marking Good Friday, a mournful day during Holy Week.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • At the vigil, the atmosphere appeared to be both mournful and celebratory of Scooter’s life.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Buccaneers started complaining to the officials about fouls.
    CJ Moore, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
  • The irony of the quintessential real estate expert buying a home in the flight path of an international airport, then complaining about the noise, is not lost on the rest of Palm Beach County.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Keeping with tradition, the Vatican’s health department verifies the pope’s death in his home, and his body is placed in a coffin and transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing, the funeral Mass and burial.
    Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The funeral mass will begin at 10am CET (1am PT) and take place on the parvis of Saint Peter’s Basilica, or the space in front of the basilica.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The whining about everyone else didn’t help, either.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Stop whining and thank your lucky stars for having a job.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • King was on an errand to pick up a snack for his mom when he was shot, heartbroken relatives said.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Downs recovered from her injuries but remained heartbroken over the loss of her friends and overwhelmed with survivor's guilt.
    Laurel Morales, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Wailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wailing. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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