wailful

/'weilful/
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wailful

The wind sounds wailful through the old pine trees.

Definition

Adjective: 1. Vocally expressing grief or sorrow: Characterized by or producing a sound that expresses deep sadness, mourning, or lamentation. 2. Resembling the expression of grief or sorrow: Having a quality or sound that is mournful, plaintive, or sorrowful, even if not produced by a human voice.

Usage

The adjective "wailful" is used to describe sounds, typically cries, voices, or noises, that are filled with or suggestive of grief. It is a literary and somewhat formal word.

Examples
  • The wailful cries of the mourners filled the cemetery.
  • She sang a wailful melody that brought tears to everyone's eyes.
  • The wailful sound of the emergency siren cut through the night.
  • In the distance, they heard the wailful howl of a lone wolf.
Advanced Usage
  • Descriptive Use: Often used in poetry, literature, and descriptive writing to evoke a strong emotional atmosphere of sadness or desolation.
  • Figurative Use: Can be applied to non-vocal sounds (like wind or instruments) that metaphorically "lament."
Variants and Related Words
  • Wail (verb/noun): To utter a prolonged, high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger; the cry itself.
  • Wailing (adjective/gerund): Making a long, mournful cry or sound.
Synonyms
  • Mournful: Feeling, expressing, or inducing sadness or sorrow.
  • Plaintive: Sounding sad and mournful.
  • Lamenting: Expressing passionate grief.
  • Keening: Making a wailing lament for the dead (especially in Irish tradition).
  • Sorrowful: Feeling or showing grief.
Antonyms
  • Joyful: Feeling or expressing great happiness.
  • Cheerful: Noticeably happy and optimistic.
  • Jubilant: Feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.
Related Idioms and Phrases

(While "wailful" itself is not commonly used in fixed idioms, it relates to the following concepts:) - To wail and gnash one's teeth: To express extreme anguish or despair (a biblical allusion). - A wake of wailing: A situation or atmosphere filled with lamentation (often used descriptively).

wailful

The wind sounds wailful through the old pine trees.

Adjective
  1. vocally expressing grief or sorrow or resembling such expression
    • lamenting sinners
    • wailing mourners
    • the wailing wind
    • wailful bagpipes
    • tangle her desires with wailful sonnets- Shakespeare

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