as in weeping
expressing or suggesting mourning
a wailing quality in her voice that makes her a natural for country music
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in screaming
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 howling
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 moaning
to utter a moan
the patient lay in her bed, occasionally softly wailing in pain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wailing
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022 -
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Verb
-
The name Wolf Moon comes from the sound of wolves howling during this season, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Detroit Free Press,
27 Dec. 2024
-
This includes destructive behavior such as chewing and destroying furniture as well as things like howling and barking.—
Joseph Epstein,
Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Prospective Xbox players can hear the final version of the haunting, mournful Atlamaha-ha piece in EW’s exclusive reveal of a live-action music video shot for South of Midnight.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
6 Mar. 2025
-
In the mournful mid-section, keyboardist Rick Wakeman channels Bach on the pipe organ, recorded at a London church.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The irony of the quintessential real estate expert buying a home in the flight path of an international airport, then complaining about the noise, is not lost on the rest of Palm Beach County.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2025
-
That first-round pick became Merriman (although, the Giants aren't complaining).—
Ryan Morik,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
For the certification, Senate pages carried the Electoral College ballot boxes through the rotunda like caskets in a funeral procession.—
Antonia Hitchens,
The New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Now the family is grappling with funeral arrangements for the young woman.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The whining about everyone else didn’t help, either.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2024
-
Stop whining and thank your lucky stars for having a job.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But in a confessional, Stacey weeps while sympathizing with her heartbroken friend.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Long Live Curt, a tribute to a close friend who died, could fit on a DJ set with the heartbroken singalongs of fellow Floridians like St. Petersburg’s Rod Wave and Jacksonville’s Lil Poppa.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
14 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Wailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wailing. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share