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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
a transit fare increase that is sure to bring wails from the straphangers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the state's residents are always wailing about their high taxes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to groan
to utter a moan
the patient lay in her bed, occasionally softly wailing in pain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Jen Chaney, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
The anthems, with all of their staid pomp and circumstance, were replaced by the faint wail of a synthesizer.
—Pablo Maurer, The Athletic, 6 July 2024
Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025
Gibson didn’t really know Ainscough and showed up to Ainscough’s funeral uninvited and made a scene with over-the-top crying and wailing, per Women’s Weekly.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wail
Noun
Mark and Helly, drawn to the wails of what sounds like an infant, open a door inside the Lumon complex and discover an all-white room with baby goats frolicking on bales of hay and one being bottle-fed by a man in a suit.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
The anthems, with all of their staid pomp and circumstance, were replaced by the faint wail of a synthesizer.
—Pablo Maurer, The Athletic, 6 July 2024
Verb
The journalists wrote in their book that Gibson showed up to Ainscough’s funeral uninvited and made a scene with over-the-top crying and wailing, per Women's Weekly.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025
Gibson didn’t really know Ainscough and showed up to Ainscough’s funeral uninvited and made a scene with over-the-top crying and wailing, per Women’s Weekly.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wail
Noun
-
For weeks now, Haiti’s volatile capital has been caught between cries and gunfire, armed gangs and mass exodus, and anxiety and silence.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2025
-
In the theatre, though, peals of laughter drowned out Melton’s cries and the scene’s devastatingly anticlimactic end.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
The New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Fritz revved the engine, a desperate, needling whine, and the vessel lurched down the airstrip, the chute billowing awake behind him.—
Nick Paumgarten,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Families fall asleep to the thump of nearby airstrikes and the constant whine of an Israeli drone overhead.—
Raf Sanchez,
NBC News,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Biden complained when the courts blocked his efforts to forgive student loan debt.—
Graham Underwood,
arkansasonline.com,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Fix Problems Many of us like to complain about broken systems, inefficient processes, or other things that annoy us at work.—
Joseph Liu,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Some Republicans made direct analogies between the first president and the sixteenth—to the howling disdain of many detractors.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
12 Feb. 2025
-
Give the Gallowgate End an excuse to howl and roar, 20 years ago or now, and the noise will blow the roof off.—
Chris Waugh,
The Athletic,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
While my situation may have been particularly dire, my friends are all constantly groaning about their lingerie too.—
Brigitt Earley,
Glamour,
25 Feb. 2025
-
There also isn't a dry forehead in the studio, as the tough session has left them all moaning and groaning.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
None of these moans are intended to dismiss the importance of clever in-jokes and references to past adventures.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Tonally registering as if carved from a medium-hard piece of oak, his transparent deliveries — mellow whispers, conversational assertions, longing moans, resolute cries — served as effective vessels for those character sketches and autobiographical reflections.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Unwittingly, the whole exchange echoes Mullins’ lament in Lioness about the media telling us what to believe.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Because, as one of them laments, who else can a spy really date?—
Stephanie Zacharek,
TIME,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
And of course, 102 acres on the Pacific Ocean just screams location, location, ad infinitum.—
David Weiss,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Every frequent flier has been there: the seat that doesn’t tilt back, the screaming kids, the sprint between terminals for the connecting flight, and relief at baggage claim that your luggage actually made it.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
19 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to wail
Cite this Entry
“Wail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wail. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share