wail
gb/wˈeɪl/ us/wˈeɪl/
B2
English
~ 8500
jajveszékel, üvölt, felüvölt, keservesen sír, vijjog, süvít, siránkozik, nyafog, jajkiáltás, keserves sírás, vijjogás, süvítés, zúz, vadul játszik
VERB
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] wails in/with [emotion]
The child began to wail when she realized her mother had left the room.
A gyerek jajveszékelni kezdett, amikor észrevette, hogy az anyja kiment a szobából.
Relatives wailed in grief as the coffin was lowered into the ground.
A rokonok gyászukban jajveszékeltek, amikor a koporsót leengedték a sírba.
He fell to his knees and wailed in despair when he heard the news.
Neighbors could hear her wailing after the breakup.
She wailed with pain when the doctor touched her injured leg.
Learner examples
The baby wails every night when it is hungry.
A baba minden éjjel keservesen sír, amikor éhes.
She wailed loudly when she heard the bad news.
Hangosan jajveszékelt, amikor meghallotta a rossz hírt.
He started to wail when he fell and hurt his knee.
People wailed in the street after the accident.
The girl wailed with fear in the dark room.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "wail" for any kind of crying. It is stronger than "cry" and suggests a long, loud, high sound, usually with very strong emotion.
Meaning
cry loudly in pain or grief
Collocations
wail in pain
|wail with grief
|wail in despair
|babies wail
|wail and sob
Synonyms
sob (Focuses more on heavy, broken crying; not always as loud or long as a wail.)
Antonyms
rejoice (Expresses strong happiness instead of loud pain or sorrow.)
Themes
emotions
|family
|daily life
|health
Definition
To cry in a very loud, long way because you are hurt, very sad, or very upset.
To make a long, loud, high cry, especially because of strong pain, sadness, or anger.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[something] wails
Ambulance sirens wailed as they sped through the city streets.
Vijjogtak a mentőautók szirénái, ahogy a kocsik végigszáguldottak a város utcáin.
The wind wailed around the old house all night.
Egész éjjel süvített a szél az öreg ház körül.
Police sirens wailed in the distance after the explosion.
An air-raid siren wailed, warning people to take cover.
The train whistle wailed as it entered the station.
Learner examples
The siren wailed and everyone left the building.
Vijjogni kezdett a sziréna, és mindenki elhagyta az épületet.
Outside, the cold wind wailed around the trees.
Odakint a hideg szél süvített a fák között.
We heard a siren wail somewhere in the city.
The alarm wailed and woke us up.
All night, the storm winds wailed around the hotel.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the human crying sense. In this meaning, the subject is usually a thing like a siren, alarm, or wind, not a person.
Meaning
make a long, high, mournful sound
Collocations
sirens wailed
|the wind wailed
|wail in the distance
|wail through the night
|ambulance siren wailed
Synonyms
howl (Often used for wind or animals making a long, loud sound; slightly broader and more common than "wail" for natural sounds.)
Antonyms
fall silent (Describes the opposite situation, when a loud, continuing sound stops completely.)
Themes
nature
|sound
|weather
|core_vocabulary
Definition
For things like wind or sirens, to make a long, high, loud sound that seems sad or scary.
Of something like wind, an alarm, or a siren: to make a long, loud, high-pitched, sad-sounding noise.
VERB
C1
INFORMAL
3
siránkozik
B2
nyafog
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] wails about [something]
Commuters wailed about the sudden rise in ticket prices.
Az ingázók a jegyárak hirtelen megemelése miatt siránkoztak.
He is always wailing that nobody understands him.
Állandóan azon siránkozik, hogy senki sem érti meg.
Local businesses wailed about the new tax rules.
She wailed about how unfair her boss was being.
Fans wailed on social media after the team lost again.
Learner examples
He always wails about his job.
Mindig a munkája miatt siránkozik.
People wailed about the higher rent.
Az emberek a megemelt lakbér miatt siránkoztak.
She wails that she never has time to rest.
They wail about the food but still eat it.
My friend wails about his problems every day.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "wail" in formal writing when "complain" or "protest" is better. This sense is often informal and can sound emotional or negative about the speaker.
Meaning
complain loudly or bitterly
Collocations
wail about the cost
|wail about their problems
|wail that [clause]
|wail and complain
|constantly wail
Synonyms
whine (Suggests annoying, repeated complaining; "wail" sounds more emotional and dramatic.)
Antonyms
accept (Means to take a bad situation without loudly complaining about it.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|work
Definition
To complain a lot in a loud or very emotional way, often sounding like you are crying.
To complain in a loud, emotional, or exaggerated way, often for a long time.
NOUN
B2
4
jajkiáltás
B2
Usage pattern:
a wail of [emotion]
A terrible wail of pain came from the next room.
Szörnyű fájdalmas jajkiáltás hallatszott a szomszéd szobából.
The mother let out a wail when she saw her injured child.
Az anyából hangos jajkiáltás tört fel, amikor meglátta sérült gyermekét.
Their cries rose into a single wail of grief.
We heard a baby’s wail from the apartment upstairs.
With a sharp wail, he clutched his broken arm.
Learner examples
The baby’s wail woke everyone in the house.
A baba keserves sírása mindenkit felébresztett a házban.
She gave a loud wail when she lost her ring.
Hangos jajkiáltást hallatott, amikor elvesztette a gyűrűjét.
We heard a long wail in the dark street.
He let out a wail of fear when the dog barked.
A short wail came from the sick room.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "make a wail" instead of "give a wail" or "let out a wail." Use verbs like "let out," "give," or simply "a wail went up."
Meaning
long loud cry of pain or grief
Collocations
a wail of pain
|a wail of grief
|a piercing wail
|let out a wail
|a baby's wail
Synonyms
scream (Any very loud, high cry; not always as long or sorrowful as a "wail".)
Antonyms
silence (The absence of sound, contrasting with a loud, emotional cry.)
Themes
emotions
|family
|health
Definition
A long, loud cry that shows someone is very hurt, very sad, or very afraid.
A long, loud, high cry showing strong pain, sadness, or fear.
NOUN
B2
5
Usage pattern:
the wail of [something]
We could hear the wail of a siren approaching fast.
Hallottuk a gyorsan közeledő sziréna vijjogását.
The wail of the wind kept them awake all night.
Egész éjjel ébren tartotta őket a szél süvítése.
Suddenly the evening calm was broken by the wail of police sirens.
A distant wail drifted across the empty fields.
The constant wail of alarms made it hard to think.
Learner examples
The wail of a siren came from the road.
Az út felől egy sziréna vijjogása hallatszott.
I heard the wail of the wind outside my window.
Hallottam, ahogy odakint süvít a szél az ablakom előtt.
There was a long wail from the fire alarm.
The wail of the ambulance grew louder.
We listened to the wail of the storm all night.
Common mistake:
Learners may mix this with the human-cry meaning. When you say "the wail of a siren" or "of the wind," it clearly refers to a non-human sound.
Meaning
long, high, mournful sound
Collocations
the wail of a siren
|the wail of the wind
|a distant wail
|the wail of police sirens
|the rising wail
Synonyms
howl (Often used for long, loud sounds from wind, animals, or sirens; slightly broader and more common.)
Antonyms
quiet (Describes a calm, low-noise situation, opposite to a loud, high wail.)
Themes
sound
|nature
|weather
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A long, high sound from a thing like a siren or wind that can sound sad or scary.
A long, loud, high-pitched sound from something like a siren, alarm, or wind, which seems sad or frightening.
VERB
C1
SLANG
6
zúz
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] wails on [instrument]
The lead guitarist wailed on his solo for almost five minutes.
A szólógitáros majdnem öt percig zúzta a szólóját.
A saxophonist wailed over the driving beat of the drums.
Egy szaxofonos vadul játszott a dobok sodró ritmusa fölött.
By the final song, the whole band was wailing and the crowd was screaming.
He loves players who really wail on their instruments.
The singer stepped back and let the guitarist wail.
Learner examples
The guitar player wails in the last song.
A gitáros az utolsó számban zúz.
The band wails on stage every night.
A zenekar minden este zúz a színpadon.
She can really wail on the saxophone.
The crowd cheered as the guitar wailed.
They started to wail harder as the show ended.
Common mistake:
Learners might confuse this slang use with the crying meaning. In this sense, the subject is usually a musician or instrument, and the context is clearly about music and performance.
Meaning
play music loudly and intensely
Collocations
wail on the guitar
|wail on the saxophone
|the band was wailing
|a wailing guitar solo
|wail through a solo
Synonyms
jam (Means to play music freely and with feeling; "wail" suggests louder, more intense playing, often in solos.)
Antonyms
underplay (To play in a soft, restrained way, the opposite of loud, intense "wailing" on an instrument.)
Themes
music
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
Definition
To play music very loud and with a lot of energy and feeling, especially in rock or jazz.
To play music, especially guitar, saxophone, or rock music, in a very loud, energetic, and expressive way.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wail
IPA
GB/wˈeɪl/
US/wˈeɪl/
Syllables & stress
wail (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (wail)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: wail
- Plural: wails
Verb
- Base: wail
- 3rd Person Singular: wails
- Present Participle: wailing
- Past: wailed
Word family
Forms
wails
noun
wailing
verb
wailed
verb
Related words
wailer
noun
Expressions
let out a wail
1/lˈɛt ˈaʊt ə wˈeɪl/
fixed phrase
suddenly make a long loud cry
To suddenly make a long, loud cry of pain, sadness, or fear.
Examples
- The child slipped, then let out a wail as he hit the ground.
- She read the message and let out a wail of disbelief.
- When the needle went in, he let out a wail and grabbed the nurse’s arm.
wail about [something]
1/wˈeɪl əbˈaʊt sˈʌmθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
informal
complain loudly about something
To complain a lot and in a loud or emotional way about something.
Examples
- People are already wailing about the new parking rules.
- He loves to wail about how busy he is, but he never says no to more work.
- Instead of wailing about the problem, they finally did something to fix it.
wail and moan
1/wˈeɪl ˈænd mˈoʊn/
fixed phrase
complain loudly and repeatedly
To complain a lot in a loud or emotional way, again and again.
Examples
- People wail and moan about traffic but still drive everywhere.
- He wails and moans about his job, yet he never looks for another one.
- Instead of wailing and moaning, they started planning how to solve the problem.
wail like a banshee
1/wˈeɪl lˈaɪk ə bænʃˈi/
idiom
informal
scream extremely loudly and shrilly
To scream or cry in a very loud, high, and sharp way that hurts your ears.
Examples
- The baby was wailing like a banshee all night.
- Fans wailed like banshees when the singer finally came on stage.
- When the fire alarm went off, it wailed like a banshee through the building.
wail on [someone]
1/wˈeɪl ˈɔn sˈʌmwˌʌn/
phrasal verb
informal
hit or attack someone repeatedly
To hit or physically attack someone again and again, often very hard.
Examples
- The kids started to wail on each other with their pillows.
- In the video, several players wail on the referee after the bad call.
- He fell to the ground and they just wailed on him until others pulled them away.
wailing and gnashing of teeth
1/wˈeɪlɪŋ ˈænd nˈæʃɪŋ əv tˈiθ/
idiom
literary
loud sorrow and angry complaining
Loud crying, anger, and complaining after something very bad or disappointing happens.
Examples
- There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth when the team lost the final.
- Any change to the exam system brings wailing and gnashing of teeth from students.
- The announcement caused predictable wailing and gnashing of teeth on social media.