wails 1 of 2

noun

plural of wail
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wails

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of wail
1
as in complains
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 howls
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 moans
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 wails
Noun
Mourners beat their chests rhythmically in the intense summer heat, the wails of women cutting through the noise as the body of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was unveiled beneath a glass case at the Grand Mosalla. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026 After a second of consideration, Naim slams the grate shut to the monster’s wails, and the audience’s relief. — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 19 June 2026 Her wails of pain were audible on TV broadcasts as medics tended to her before a helicopter finally carried her away. — Becky Sullivan, NPR, 6 May 2026 Within moments, a smoke detector wails. — ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026 Mitchell has made the point before that every new technology brings wails that the fish won’t survive. — Mike McFeely, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026 There was grit and grime to his feedback-heavy guitar wails, but there was sweep and grandeur too, more apparent on stage than on record. — Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 28 Mar. 2026 Ride the thrill of Hostile Design’s passionate wails and percussion overload when the group headlines eight shows to kick off the new year, making their way across California, Rhode Island, Quebec, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and Illinois with the same energy that once fueled their humble beginnings. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026 Maybe the wails and crushed dreams of American travelers will finally melt their hearts. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
Another voice wails in the background. — ABC News, 28 Feb. 2026 Anna wails, determined to separate the pair at any cost and not lacking in support from the others. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2026 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 The Ferrari hybrid, for its part, still wails like a La Scala tenor to an emotional, 8,000-rpm peak. — IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wails
  1. tears
  2. groans
  3. moans
  4. complains
  5. howls
  6. cries
  7. lamentations
  8. complaints
Noun
  • With tears in their eyes, Raq wonders if her son still loves her.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
  • While Bret purports to understand, there are unmistakable tears in his eyes.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of tears
Noun
  • This reality might produce some groans among the kiddos in your lives, but parents can revel in the fact that BTS sales abound.
    — Melissa Knific, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The moment was met with several groans from the audience in the room.
    — Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2026
Definition of groans
Noun
  • In the decades after his death, Johnson’s loose playing and harrowing moans set American music on a path that would encompass Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, even Nas.
    — Steven Johnson, Washington Post, 14 July 2026
  • Sweet tweets, soft moans, the distant caw of a shore bird piloting toward the sea, spirited and hopeful, daylight already breaking through.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of moans
Verb
  • The private sector complains that there are jobs but that Indians aren’t skilled enough to be hired.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Prescribing Tylenol to a patient who continually complains of back pain will not necessarily solve what ails them.
    — Chris Adams, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of complains
Verb
  • At night, the coyote howls echo through the development keeping residents awake.
    — N. Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2026
  • This is the sort of pure 1980s batshit monologue that prompts both oh-my-Lord gasps and howls of laughter, and Neill nails the whole thing.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026
Definition of howls
Verb
  • If your child cries, remember that many children settle soon after a parent leaves.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • In reference to the question that ran on June 30 about the dog that grabs a toy, runs, and then cries, our 6-1/2-year-old goldendoodle does this too.
    — Cathy M. Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of cries
Noun
  • These rock lamentations will not be carried over to the full-length album the band still has in the works, which Bono promises will have a more joyful tone.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
  • The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.
    — H.D. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of lamentations
Noun
  • The city says there was a large increase in complaints in May, likely due to the end of the school year.
    — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • By doing it this way, the kids had to put some thought into which items meant the most to them, and there were no complaints afterward.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of complaints

Browse Nearby Words

wailing (for)
wails
wails (for)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wails. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on wails

Nglish: Translation of wails for Spanish 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 More

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

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All