Wail vs. Cry — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 9, 2024
Wailing is a loud, prolonged sound of grief or pain, often public and intense; crying involves shedding tears, typically reflecting a broader range of emotions.
Difference Between Wail and Cry
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Wailing is characterized by its loud and prolonged nature, usually expressing deep sorrow or severe pain. It's a vocal expression that can be heard from a distance, often associated with mourning or distress. Crying, on the other hand, encompasses a wider range of emotional expressions, from sadness and frustration to joy, and it may or may not be accompanied by tears.
While wailing is often public and can be a part of cultural or communal mourning practices, emphasizing shared grief, crying is more personal and can be a private affair. People might cry alone or in the presence of others, but the act itself can be silent or accompanied by sobs, without the intense vocalizations of wailing.
Wailing is typically reserved for extreme emotions or situations, such as the loss of a loved one, profound despair, or acute pain. It's a form of expression that conveys the depth of one's suffering to others. Conversely, crying can be triggered by a wide range of emotions, from mild disappointment or stress to overwhelming happiness, serving as a more versatile emotional outlet.
In terms of physical expression, wailing involves a forceful exhalation of air, producing a loud, vocal sound, which can be almost musical in its intensity and pitch variation. Crying, however, primarily involves the production of tears, which can occur with or without vocal expression, and may include sniffles, quiet sobs, or the occasional louder outcry, but typically lacks the sustained vocal power of wailing.
Culturally, wailing is often seen in specific mourning and funeral rituals around the world, where it serves as a collective expression of grief and a way to honor the deceased. Crying, being a universal human behavior, does not have such specific cultural connotations and is a common physiological response to a range of emotional stimuli across different contexts.
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Comparison Chart
Sound
Loud, prolonged vocalization
May include soft to moderate sobs or silence with tears
Emotional Expression
Deep sorrow, severe pain
Broad spectrum from sadness to joy
Public vs. Private
Often public, part of cultural mourning
More personal, can be private
Situations
Extreme distress or grief
Varied, from mild stress to overwhelming emotions
Physical Expression
Forceful exhalation and vocal sound
Production of tears, with or without vocal sounds
Compare with Definitions
Wail
An expressive cry associated with cultural rituals.
Wailing is part of the mourning process in many cultures.
Cry
A silent or soft vocal expression of feeling.
She cried silently, not wanting to be heard.
Wail
A public display of deep sorrow.
The community joined in wailing to mourn the tragedy.
Cry
Shedding tears as a response to emotion.
Overwhelmed with happiness, she began to cry.
Wail
A forceful, vocal mourning sound.
His wailing echoed through the hospital corridors.
Cry
An emotional response that can involve sobs.
Hearing the news, they hugged and cried together.
Wail
A loud, prolonged cry of sorrow or pain.
The wailing at the funeral could be heard down the street.
Cry
The act of shedding tears without vocal sound.
Tears streamed down her face as she cried at the movie.
Wail
An intense vocal expression of grief.
She fell to her knees, wailing in despair.
Cry
A way to release emotional stress or pain.
After a tough day, he found relief in crying.
Wail
A prolonged high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger
Christopher let out a wail
Cry
Shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow
Don't cry—it'll be all right
You'll cry tears of joy
Wail
Utter a wail
‘But why?’ she wailed
Tina ran off wailing
Cry
Shout or scream, typically to express fear, pain, or grief
The little girl fell down and cried for mummy
Wail
To make a long, loud, high-pitched cry, as in grief, sorrow, or fear.
Cry
(of a bird or other animal) make a loud characteristic call
The wild birds cried out over the water
Wail
To make a prolonged, high-pitched sound suggestive of a cry
The wind wailed through the trees.
Cry
A loud inarticulate shout or scream expressing a powerful feeling or emotion
A cry of despair
Wail
To lament over; bewail.
Cry
The loud characteristic call of a bird or other animal
The harsh cries of magpies
Wail
A long, loud, high-pitched cry, as of grief or pain.
Cry
A spell of shedding tears
I still have a cry, sometimes, when I realize that my mother is dead
Wail
A long, loud, high-pitched sound
The wail of a siren.
Cry
A pack of hounds
He kept a cry of hounds to hunt in the wilderness
Wail
A loud, bitter protest
A wail of misery went up when new parking restrictions were announced.
Cry
To shed tears, especially as a result of strong emotion such as grief, sorrow, pain, or joy.
Wail
(intransitive) To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.
Cry
To call loudly; shout.
Wail
(intransitive) To weep, lament persistently or bitterly.
Cry
To utter a characteristic sound or call. Used of an animal.
Wail
(intransitive) To make a noise like mourning or crying.
The wind wailed and the rain streamed down.
Cry
To demand or require immediate action or remedy
Grievances crying out for redress.
Wail
(transitive) To lament; to bewail; to grieve over.
To wail one's death
Cry
To utter loudly; call out.
Wail
To perform with great liveliness and force.
Cry
To proclaim or announce in public
Crying one's wares in the marketplace.
Wail
(obsolete) wale
Cry
To bring into a particular condition by weeping
Cry oneself to sleep.
Wail
A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.
She let out a loud, doleful wail.
Cry
(Archaic) To beg for; implore
Cry forgiveness.
Wail
Any similar sound as of lamentation; a howl.
The wail of snow-dark winter winds.
A bird's wail in the night.
Cry
A loud utterance of an emotion, such as fear, anger, or despair.
Wail
A sound made by emergency vehicle sirens, contrasted with "yelp" which is higher-pitched and faster.
Cry
A loud exclamation; a shout or call.
Wail
To choose; to select.
Cry
A fit of weeping
Had a good long cry.
Wail
To lament; to bewail; to grieve over; as, to wail one's death.
Cry
An urgent entreaty or appeal.
Wail
To express sorrow audibly; to make mournful outcry; to weep.
Therefore I will wail and howl.
Cry
A public or general demand or complaint.
Wail
Loud weeping; violent lamentation; wailing.
Cry
A common view or general report.
Wail
A cry of sorrow and grief;
Their pitiful laments could be heard throughout the ward
Cry
An advertising of wares by calling out
Vendors' cries at the fish market.
Wail
Emit long loud cries;
Wail in self-pity
Howl with sorrow
Cry
A rallying call or signal
A cry to arms.
Wail
Cry weakly or softly;
She wailed with pain
Cry
A slogan, especially a political one.
Cry
The characteristic call or utterance of an animal.
Cry
The baying of hounds during the chase.
Cry
A pack of hounds.
Cry
(Obsolete) Clamor; outcry.
Cry
(Obsolete) A public announcement; a proclamation.
Cry
(intransitive) To shed tears; to weep.
That sad movie always makes me cry.
Cry
(transitive) To utter loudly; to call out; to declare publicly.
Cry
(ambitransitive) To shout, scream, yell.
Cry
(intransitive) To utter inarticulate sounds, as animals do.
Cry
(transitive) To cause to do something, or bring to some state, by crying or weeping.
Tonight I’ll cry myself to sleep.
Cry
To make oral and public proclamation of; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, auctioned, etc.
To cry goods
Cry
Hence, to publish the banns of, as for marriage.
Cry
A shedding of tears; the act of crying.
After we broke up, I retreated to my room for a good cry.
Cry
A shout or scream.
I heard a cry from afar.
Cry
Words shouted or screamed.
A battle cry
Cry
A clamour or outcry.
Cry
(collectively) A group of hounds.
Cry
A pack or company of people.
Cry
(of an animal) A typical sound made by the species in question.
"Woof" is the cry of a dog, while "neigh" is the cry of a horse.
Cry
A desperate or urgent request.
Cry
(obsolete) Common report; gossip.
Cry
To make a loud call or cry; to call or exclaim vehemently or earnestly; to shout; to vociferate; to proclaim; to pray; to implore.
And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice.
Clapping their hands, and crying with loud voice.
Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
Some cried after him to return.
Cry
To utter lamentations; to lament audibly; to express pain, grief, or distress, by weeping and sobbing; to shed tears; to bawl, as a child.
Ye shall cry for sorrow of heart.
I could find it in my heart to disgrace my man's apparel and to cry like a woman.
Cry
To utter inarticulate sounds, as animals.
The young ravens which cry.
In a cowslip's bell I lieThere I couch when owls do cry.
Cry
To utter loudly; to call out; to shout; to sound abroad; to declare publicly.
All, all, cry shame against ye, yet I 'll speak.
The man . . . ran on,crying, Life! life! Eternal life!
Cry
To cause to do something, or bring to some state, by crying or weeping; as, to cry one's self to sleep.
Cry
To make oral and public proclamation of; to declare publicly; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, ets.; as, to cry goods, etc.
Love is lost, and thus she cries him.
Cry
To publish the banns of, as for marriage.
I should not be surprised if they were cried in church next Sabbath.
Men of dissolute lives cry down religion, because they would not be under the restraints of it.
Cry
A loud utterance; especially, the inarticulate sound produced by one of the lower animals; as, the cry of hounds; the cry of wolves.
Cry
Outcry; clamor; tumult; popular demand.
Again that cry was found to have been as unreasonable as ever.
Cry
Any expression of grief, distress, etc., accompanied with tears or sobs; a loud sound, uttered in lamentation.
There shall be a great cry throughout all the land.
An infant crying in the night,An infant crying for the light;And with no language but a cry.
Cry
Loud expression of triumph or wonder or of popular acclamation or favor.
The cry went once on thee.
Cry
Importunate supplication.
O, the most piteous cry of the poor souls.
Cry
Public advertisement by outcry; proclamation, as by hawkers of their wares.
The street cries of London.
Cry
Common report; fame.
The cry goes that you shall marry her.
Cry
A word or phrase caught up by a party or faction and repeated for effect; as, the party cry of the Tories.
All now depends upon a good cry.
Cry
A pack of hounds.
A cry more tunableWas never hollaed to, nor cheered with horn.
Cry
A pack or company of persons; - in contempt.
Would not this . . . get me a fellowship in a cry of players?
Cry
The crackling noise made by block tin when it is bent back and forth.
Cry
A loud utterance; often in protest or opposition;
The speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience
Cry
A loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate);
A cry of rage
A yell of pain
Cry
A slogan used to rally support for a cause;
A cry to arms
Our watchword will be `democracy'
Cry
A fit of weeping;
Had a good cry
Cry
The characteristic utterance of an animal;
Animal cries filled the night
Cry
Utter a sudden loud cry;
She cried with pain when the doctor inserted the needle
I yelled to her from the window but she couldn't hear me
Cry
Shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain;
She cried bitterly when she heard the news of his death
The girl in the wheelchair wept with frustration when she could not get up the stairs
Cry
Utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy;
`I won!' he exclaimed
`Help!' she cried
`I'm here,' the mother shouted when she saw her child looking lost
Cry
Proclaim or announce in public;
Before we had newspapers, a town cryer would cry the news
He cried his merchandise in the market square
Cry
Demand immediate action;
This situation is crying for attention
Cry
Utter a characteristic sound;
The cat was crying
Cry
Bring into a particular state by crying;
The little boy cried himself to sleep
Common Curiosities
Can crying be silent?
Yes, crying can be silent, with tears flowing without any accompanying vocal sounds.
Is wailing a universal response to grief?
While wailing is a common response to grief in many cultures, it's not universal and varies according to cultural norms and personal expressions.
Can crying help relieve pain?
Crying can provide emotional relief, which may indirectly help in coping with physical pain by reducing stress.
Can animals wail or cry?
Animals can produce sounds of distress that might resemble wailing, and some animals have tear ducts, but their emotional expressions are not directly comparable to human wailing or crying.
How can one stop crying or wailing?
Techniques vary, including deep breathing, distraction, or addressing the underlying emotional cause, but it's important to allow for healthy expression of emotions.
What causes people to wail?
Wailing is often caused by extreme grief, despair, or pain, serving as an intense expression of these emotions.
Do men cry less than women?
Studies suggest that on average, women may cry more frequently than men, possibly due to societal norms and biological differences.
Is it healthy to cry?
Yes, crying is considered a healthy emotional release and can provide relief from stress.
What is the difference between sobbing and wailing?
Sobbing involves short, convulsive gasps or cries, often quieter than wailing, which is loud and prolonged.
Why do people wail at funerals?
Wailing at funerals is a way to express deep sorrow, honor the deceased, and engage in communal mourning.
Is wailing more common in certain cultures?
Yes, wailing as a mourning practice is more common in some cultures, reflecting a collective expression of grief.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
