wailing 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of wailingnext
as in weeping
expressing or suggesting mourning a wailing quality in her voice that makes her a natural for country music

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wail
1
as in screaming
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
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
as in moaning
to utter a moan the patient lay in her bed, occasionally softly wailing in pain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wailing
  1. weeping
  2. howling
  3. mournful
  4. complaining
  5. funeral
  6. whining
  7. heartbroken
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
Definition of weeping
Verb
  • The name Wolf Moon comes from the sound of wolves howling during this season, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 27 Dec. 2024
  • This includes destructive behavior such as chewing and destroying furniture as well as things like howling and barking.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of howling
Adjective
  • So, why not head next door — in a friendly way, not a mournful one — and express your natural curiosity?
    Philip Galanes, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025
  • Her observations as a woman once romantically involved with the two of them at the same time, confirm their masculine inability to speak their feelings out loud unless they are veiled in mournful songs.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 28 Nov. 2024
Definition of mournful
Verb
  • The Buccaneers started complaining to the officials about fouls.
    CJ Moore, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
  • That first-round pick became Merriman (although, the Giants aren't complaining).
    Ryan Morik, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
Definition of complaining
Adjective
  • Carter’s casket will depart the U.S. Capitol at 9 a.m. and a funeral motorcade will travel to the Washington National Cathedral.
    Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
  • On this day, in an Assad-free Damascus, he is mourned loudly by hundreds in a funeral procession that starts at the hospital where he was identified and ends at his final resting place.
    Claire Harbage, NPR, 17 Dec. 2024
Definition of funeral
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
Definition of whining
Adjective
  • Probably train tomorrow for my sanity, but just frustrated and heartbroken.
    Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2025
  • Her owner recently passed away unexpectedly, and Eartha was left heartbroken.
    Maryanne Dell, Orange County Register, 11 Jan. 2025
Definition of heartbroken
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near wailing

wailfully

wailing

wailing (for)

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Wailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wailing. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on wailing

Nglish: Translation of wailing for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of wailing for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Top 12 Sophisticated Compliments

Word of the Year 2024 | Polarization

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
white rubber duck stands out in a row of yellow ducks
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.