wailing

[ wey-ling ]

adjective

1. uttering a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry, usually high-pitched or clear-sounding, as in grief or suffering:

   In the village we passed a funeral procession, the wailing widow following behind the body of her husband.

2. making a mournful sound, as a siren, music, the wind, etc.:

   A wailing police siren nears, passes, and fades.

3. complaining, protesting, whining, or crying:

   He rubbed the bare foot of the wailing toddler and planted a kiss on it.

   They’re always trying to correct the market, usually in the interests of some wailing pressure group.

4. Slang. expressing emotion musically or verbally in an exciting, satisfying way:

   The song celebrates with a Cajun-flavored stomp accompanied by a wailing fiddle and screaming electric guitar.

noun

1. a mournful cry or sound, or the act of making such a sound:

   The wailing of the mourners rose and fell, merging with the drums and the shaman’s chants.

2. an act or instance of complaining, protesting, etc.:

   “All art is propaganda, despite the wailing of purists,” she sneered.

3. Slang. the act of expressing emotion musically or verbally in an exciting, satisfying way:

   At this live show from 1974, the soulful wailing of the chorus in the background is utterly spine-tingling.

Other Words From

• wail·ing·ly adverb
• un·wail·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wailing¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; wail ( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses; wail ( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses

Example Sentences

There was no immediate word on casualties, but ambulances rushed to the scene, sirens wailing.

From Los Angeles Times

During many of these calls, I could hear ambulance sirens wailing in the background.

From Los Angeles Times

Somalia’s defence minister hit back, saying Ethiopia should stop “wailing” as everyone “will reap what they sowed” - a reference to their worsening diplomatic relations.

From BBC

He’d always been change-averse; when I rearranged the furniture in our Ohio family room when Aaron was about 6, he was disconsolate, wailing for days like King Lear in the storm: “Why is everything different?”

From Los Angeles Times

It’s 20 years today since the siege ended suddenly in devastating explosions, but I can still hear the wailing of Beslan’s mothers; the grief that rolled over the town in waves.

From BBC

Related Words

• sobbing
• weeping