wail
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make a long, high-pitched cry because you are very sad or in pain.
v.to utter a prolonged, high-pitched cry of grief, sorrow, or pain. Intransitive in this sense.
Simple“The child began to wail when he realized he had lost his favorite toy.”
In context“The mourners began to wail as the procession passed, their voices rising in a collective expression of grief that echoed through the valley.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to play a musical instrument, like a saxophone or guitar, with a lot of power and skill.
v.to perform music with exceptional energy, skill, and emotional intensity, particularly in jazz or rock contexts.
Simple“The saxophonist really started to wail during his solo at the end of the song.”
In context“The lead guitarist began to wail, delivering a high-octane solo that electrified the audience and showcased his technical mastery of the blues scale.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a long, high sound made by a person crying or by a loud machine.
n.a prolonged, high-pitched sound, either human in origin or mechanical, such as a siren.
Simple“The wail of the ambulance siren grew louder as it approached the intersection.”
In context“A thin wail of wind whistled through the cracks in the old cabin, making the cold night feel even more desolate.”
c. 1300, Middle English weilen, waylen (“to sob, cry, wail”), from Old Norse væla (“to wail”), from væ, vei (“woe”), from Proto-Germanic wai (whence also Old English wā (“woe”) (English woe)), from Proto-Indo-European wáy. The verb is first attested in the intransitive sense; the transitive sense developed in mid-14ᵗʰ c.. The noun came from the verb.
From Old Norse val (“choice”). Compare Icelandic velja (“to choose”). More at wale.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.