/ weɪl; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
[ v ] to make a long loud high cry because you are sad or in pain :
The little girl was wailing miserably.
women wailing and weeping
2.
to cry or complain about sth in a loud high voice
SYN moan :
[ v speech ]
'It's broken,' she wailed.
[ v ]
There's no point wailing about something that happened so long ago.
3.
[ v ] ( of things ) to make a long high sound :
Ambulances raced by with sirens wailing.
► wail·ing noun [ sing. , U ]:
a high-pitched wailing
■ noun
a long loud high cry expressing pain or sadness; a sound similar to this
SYN moan :
a wail of despair
the distant wail of sirens
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old Norse ; related to woe .