Wail

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /weɪl/

Definitions

1. A prolonged, high-pitched expression of sorrow often released during moments of distress, grief, or deep emotional pain
2. A strong, loud cry made during feelings of sorrow or hurt; a drawn-out, plaintive noise often heard in mourning or despair
3. An intense, high-pitched utterance expressing sadness or suffering; a continuous, sorrowful sound that conveys emotional anguish

Etymology: The English "wail" arrived around 1300 as "weilen" or "waylen," meaning to sob or cry out, and it came from Old Norse "væla," which carried the same sense. That Norse verb grew from "væ" or "vei," meaning "woe," a word closely related to the Old English "wā," the source of modern "woe." So the cry of grief in English is traced back to a Scandinavian exclamation of misery that shares its root with a word English already had. The verb was first used only intransitively, meaning to cry out without an object, and by the mid-14th century speakers had also begun using it transitively, to lament something, as in "to wail a loss." The noun was formed later from the verb, so the act of crying came before the sound itself was named.

Synonyms: cry, scream, howl, lament, moan

Antonyms: laugh, rejoice, cheer, celebrate, smile