wail

Universal Words verb, noun verb 1 [V] to make a long loud high cry, especially because you are sad or in pain: The little girl was wailing miserably. * women wailing and weeping * The cat was wailing to be let out. 2 to cry or complain about sth in a loud high voice: [Vspeech] '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. wailing noun [sing.,U]: We heard a high-pitched wailing. noun a long loud high cry, especially one expressing pain or sadness; a sound similar to this: a wail of anguish / despair / distress * the distant wail of sirens * The child let out a high-pitched wail.