wail

Plural: wails

Noun

• a cry of sorrow and grief
• A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.
• Any similar sound as of lamentation; a howl.
• A sound made by emergency vehicle sirens, contrasted with "yelp" which is higher-pitched and faster.

Verb

Verb Forms: wailed, wailing, wails

• To utter a prolonged, high-pitched cry of grief or pain.
• emit long loud cries
  • "wail in self-pity"
• cry weakly or softly
  • "she wailed with pain"
• To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.
• To weep, lament persistently or bitterly.
• To make a noise like mourning or crying.
• To lament; to bewail; to grieve over.
• To perform with great liveliness and force.
• Synonym of wale (“to choose; to select”).

Examples

• A bird's wail in the night.
• His opponent let out a wail when he saw his perfect word blocked by a single letter.
• She let out a loud, doleful wail.
• The wail of snow-dark winter winds.
• The wind wailed and the rain streamed down.
• to wail one's death

Synonyms

howl, lament, lamentation, mewl, plaint, pule, roar, ululate, whimper, yaup, yawl, begrieve, bemoan, bewail, beweep, burst into tears, condole, cry, cry one's eyes out, deplore, greet, grieve, grieven, groan, keen, mean, moan, mourn, pine, shed a tear, shed tears, sigh, sorrow, squirt some, wail, wale, wayment, weep

Anagrams of wail