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wail
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- pronunciation:
- weIl
- parts of speech:
- verb, noun
- features:
- Homophone Note, Word Explorer
part of speech: |
verb |
inflections: |
wails, wailing, wailed |
definition 1: |
to make a long, loud cry out of sadness or pain.
The boy wailed when he fell off his bicycle.- synonyms:
- bawl, whine, yowl
- similar words:
- cry, groan, moan, scream, whimper
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definition 2: |
to make a sound like such a cry.
The ambulance's siren wailed.- synonyms:
- howl
- similar words:
- blare, cry, groan, moan
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related words: |
grieve, howl, mourn, sob, whine |
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part of speech: |
noun |
definition: |
a long, loud cry of pain or sadness, or a sound like this.
The wail of the wind kept me awake last night.- synonyms:
- bawl, yowl
- similar words:
- cry, groan, moan, outcry, scream, whimper
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related words: |
blare |
derivations: |
wailingly (adv.), wailer (n.) |
The words wail and whale (a large marine mammal) sound alike but have different meanings.
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