wail — to cry loudly with a long, high sound, especially because of pain or sadness
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to cry loudly with a long, high sound, especially because of pain or sadness
Pronunciation (IPA): /weɪl/
Example Sentences
- The cat began to wail like an opera singer when it saw the empty food bowl.
- Students wailed when they heard about the surprise test.
- The wind wailed through the old house at midnight.
wail
VERB[/weɪl/]
to cry loudly with a long, high sound, especially because of pain or sadness
Child wailing loudly in distress
The whale's wail makes the sail tremble with sorrow.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'wail' derives from Middle English 'wailen', influenced by Scandinavian languages. The term developed the meaning of 'to cry out loudly' through Old Norse roots, reflecting the expressive phonetic quality of the word.
Breakdown
wailen (Middle English) ← væla (Old Norse), where the root relates to expressions of lamentation and audible distress.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The cat began to wail like an opera singer when it saw the empty food bowl.”
“Students wailed when they heard about the surprise test.”
“The wind wailed through the old house at midnight.”
“My phone wailed with emergency alerts all morning.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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