wail (for)

verb

Definition of wail (for)next
as in to mourn
to feel or express sorrow for her grandfather asked her not to wail for him, saying that he had had a good life and was at peace

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wail (for)
  1. mourn
  2. lament
  3. regret
Verb
  • Comments on Haaland's Instagram post teasing the cut are mixed, with some fans loving the update and others mourning the loss of that platinum ponytail.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The internet mourned when Twitter shuttered the six-second, looping video app Vine in 2017.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of mourn
Verb
  • In addition to lamenting the penalties, Johnson also wasn’t pleased with the offense’s performance inside the 20-yard line.
    — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • During the May 21 vote, many board members lamented that their hands were tied by state law and a 3rd District Appellate Court ruling upholding the state’s solar siting regulations.
    — Alicia Fabbre, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of lament
Verb
  • Knight, 61, warned that prosecutors and defense attorneys alike would regret forcing him to appear in court.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The tired, the sick, the hungry, the famous and tons of ex-boyfriends, all regretting their wrongs.
    — Courtney Love, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of regret
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.

Browse Nearby Words

wailers
wail (for)
wailfully
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wail (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wail%20%28for%29. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of southpaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

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 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?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All