keening
2
8.6
- noun
- /ˈkiːnɪŋ/
- Archaic
:
lamento
- Then it caught sight of Ulfra and began a strange, high keening, a mingled greeting and plea.
- keening cries
- keening wail
- high keening
Examples
-
A sharp keening wail, like a balloon squirting air, rose and echoed in the transept.
Fiction book (1995) -
Within came a shrill keening, a cry of vast pain.
Fiction book (1992) -
About this time, the nature of the keening from inside changed; one of the girls had fallen silent.
Blog text (24) -
The bird's harsh keening tore at my heart.
Fiction book (1993) -
At nightfall, the keening of women rose from the shack.
Fiction book (1990) -
The nights at our house were soon filled with a general keening of previously unimaginable variation and persistence.
Fiction book (1992) -
The keening of the mourners echoed through the quiet church as they honored their loved one.
-
As the sun set, the sound of keening filled the air, marking the community's deep sorrow for their loss.
-
Her keening was so heart-wrenching that it brought tears to the eyes of everyone who heard it.
Synonyms
92
1.9
A very loud high, piercing noise that hurts the ears
69
1.0
Short gasping sounds someone makes while crying loudly
58
3.3
A very loud high sound that hurts your ears
47
4.1
A long loud cry that shows strong feeling
34
2.9
A long, high sound showing pain, fear, or strong excitement
17
6.1
A sad song, poem, or cry that shows grief
15
3.0
A loud, very high sound like a scream made by a person or animal
7
7.7
A strong feeling of sadness that people show by crying
5
3.5
Loud long cries made when someone feels deep pain or sadness
4
3.5
Loud, noisy crying when someone is very upset
A very loud, high cry that sounds like someone in great fear or pain
A long, very high sound that hurts the ears
Antonyms
How Mournful
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Keening comes from the Irish word caoineadh, which means 'to wail' or 'to cry', and it named the long, loud cries people make when someone dies. So a keening is a sorrowful, high-pitched wail.