wail Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a cry of sorrow and grief
    lamentation; plaint; lament.
    • their pitiful laments could be heard throughout the ward
  2. verb emit long loud cries
    roar; yawl; yaup; howl; ululate.
    • wail in self-pity
    • howl with sorrow
  3. verb cry weakly or softly
    pule; whimper; mewl.
    • she wailed with pain

WordNet

Wail transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. Icel. val choice, velja to choose, akin to Goth. waljan, G. wählen.
Definitions
  1. To choose; to select. Obs. "Wailed wine and meats." Henryson.
Wail transitive verb
Etymology
OE. wailen, weilen, probably fr. Icel. væla; cf. Icel. væ, vei, woe, and E. wayment, also OE. wai, wei, woe. Cf. Woe.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Wailed ; present participle & verbal noun Wailing
Definitions
  1. To lament; to bewail; to grieve over; as, to wail one's death. Shak.
Wail intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To express sorrow audibly; to make mournful outcry; to weep.
    Therefore I will wail and howl. Micah i. 8.
Wail noun
Definitions
  1. Loud weeping; violent lamentation; wailing. "The wail of the forest." Longfellow.

Webster 1913