1
as in tears
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in groans
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 whines
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
a transit fare increase that is sure to bring wails from the straphangers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in complains
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
the state's residents are always wailing about their high taxes
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2
3
as in moans
to utter a moan
the patient lay in her bed, occasionally softly wailing in pain
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wails
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
An ambulance siren wails past, coming up from the river.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Two sets of arms wrapped around me, more of his friends, holding me until my wails subsided.
—Kimberly Bridson, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2025
The leitmotif of unanswered doorbells, unacknowledged wails, and unsoothed whimpers punctuates the passivity of Epure’s surreal world.
—Olivia Bennett, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
Her wails make Davina recall her own confinement, where she was treated similarly awfully and responded by cursing the women in the room.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
An ambulance siren wails past, coming up from the river.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Two sets of arms wrapped around me, more of his friends, holding me until my wails subsided.
—Kimberly Bridson, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2025
The leitmotif of unanswered doorbells, unacknowledged wails, and unsoothed whimpers punctuates the passivity of Epure’s surreal world.
—Olivia Bennett, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
As Electridad wails for justice, her brother Orestes spends his time in exile with Nino (Luis Medina), a move made by his late father in probable anticipation of his demise.
—Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wails
Noun
-
Click the video below to see a sweet brotherly reunion filled with the kind of hug that comes with happy tears and pure joy.—
Ronnie Li,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
This test evaluates the quantity and quality of your tears to diagnose dry eye syndrome.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The tightly wound tension is maintained also by Volker Bertelmann’s propulsive score, which starts with ominous juddering groans and keeps shapeshifting throughout.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
-
When his first pass into midfield went straight to the opposition, the groans screamed ‘told you so’.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
9 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Roman complains about pain in his feet, and Dennis offers him a foot massage.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Next morning at breakfast Amby complains grandly of his soreness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The screams, the reason everyone assembles, when the screams come, after a few collective inhales and exhales and a moment to gather one’s thoughts, the screams come like long guttural howls.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
However, her cries and pleas only led to Tate hitting her harder.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
4 Sep. 2025
-
If the cries to help the common fan were relatively silent then, what’s the truly new and pressing need for them today?—
John Cassillo,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Most of these are held in a tent, from which loud, ecstatic moans can be heard for seemingly miles around.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The site provides links to 14 private and government groups that accept and act on complaints, including the FBI, the Better Business Bureau, the Social Security Administration, AARP, the SEC, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
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The report’s own data shows that companies slashing diversity, equity, and inclusion are experiencing higher discrimination complaints, lower morale, and decreased attraction of top talent.—
Essence,
Essence,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For Bear, the new arrangement is great about 99 percent of the time… the only drawback is that Nikki occasionally snaps back into her old self and screams in utter terror for a few seconds, before resuming the love-bombing.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Nothing screams summer like corn on the cob, simply buttered and salted.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wails. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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