What does "wail" mean?
A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.
Wail
/weɪl/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.
- Grammar: wail is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: lament, lamentation, bark, bawl.
- Useful contrasts: approve, calm, celebrate.
- Usage evidence: Meanwhile a mingled murmur through the street / rolls onward – wails of anguish, shrieks of fear –, / and though my father's mansion stood secrete, / embowered in foliage, nearer and more near / peals the dire clang of arms, and loud and clear, / borne on fierce echoes that in tumult blend, / war-shout and wail come thickening on the ear.
How to use "wail"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wail" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wail" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wail" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wail" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wail" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "lament" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wail", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.
"She let out a loud, doleful wail."
- 2 a cry of sorrow and grief wordnet
- 3 Any similar sound as of lamentation; a howl.
"The wail of snow-dark winter winds."
- 4 A sound made by emergency vehicle sirens, contrasted with "yelp" which is higher-pitched and faster.
Verb
- 1 To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish. intransitive
- 2 Synonym of wale (“to choose; to select”). obsolete
"Wailed wine and metes"
- 3 cry weakly or softly wordnet
- 4 To weep, lament persistently or bitterly. intransitive
- 5 emit long loud cries wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To make a noise like mourning or crying. intransitive
"The wind wailed and the rain streamed down."
- 7 To lament; to bewail; to grieve over. transitive
"to wail one's death"
- 8 To perform with great liveliness and force. slang
"Another outstanding surfer from Hawaii - Fred Hemmings. Fred only stands up on alternate Wednesdays, but when he does, he really wails."
Proper Noun
- 1 A locality in the Rural City of Horsham, western Victoria, Australia.
Example
"Meanwhile a mingled murmur through the street / rolls onward – wails of anguish, shrieks of fear –, / and though my father's mansion stood secrete, / embowered in foliage, nearer and more near / peals the dire clang of arms, and loud and clear, / borne on fierce echoes that in tumult blend, / war-shout and wail come thickening on the ear."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wail"?
Common synonyms include: lament, lamentation, bark, bawl, bawling, bawls.
How do you use "wail" in a sentence?
Meanwhile a mingled murmur through the street / rolls onward – wails of anguish, shrieks of fear –, / and though my father's mansion stood secrete, / embowered in foliage, nearer and more near / peals the dire clang of arms, and loud and clear, / borne on fierce echoes that in tumult blend, / war-shout and wail come thickening on the ear.
How do you pronounce "wail"?
Pronounced /weɪl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
c. 1300, Middle English weilen, waylen (“to sob, cry, wail”), from Old Norse væla (“to wail”), from væ, vei (“woe”), from Proto-Germanic *wai (whence also Old English wā (“woe”) (English woe)), from Proto-Indo-European *wáy. The verb is first attested in the intransitive sense; the transitive sense developed in mid-14ᵗʰ c.. The noun came from the verb.
Etymology 2
From Old Norse val (“choice”). Compare Icelandic velja (“to choose”). More at wale.