wailing
/ˈweɪlɪŋ/
nounadjective
Common
1.n.loud cries made while weeping
2.adj.vocally expressing grief or sorrow or resembling such expression
“lamenting sinners”
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wailing and waiting differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. wailing means “loud cries made while weeping”. waiting means “the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)”. waiting is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈweɪlɪŋ/
1.n.loud cries made while weeping
2.adj.vocally expressing grief or sorrow or resembling such expression
“lamenting sinners”
/ˈweɪtɪŋ/
1.n.the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
“the wait was an ordeal for him”
2.adj.being and remaining ready and available for use
“waiting cars and limousines lined the curb”
| wailing | waiting | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈweɪlɪŋ/ | /ˈweɪtɪŋ/ |
| Said | WAY-ling | WAY-ting |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun, adjective | noun, adjective |
| Senses | 2 | 2 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | bawling | wait |
Full entry for wailing · Full entry for waiting · More comparisons