hail

1 of 5

noun (1)

1
: precipitation in the form of small balls or lumps usually consisting of concentric layers of clear ice and compact snow
2
: something that gives the effect of a shower of hail
a hail of rifle fire

hail

2 of 5

verb (1)

hailed; hailing; hails

intransitive verb

1
: to precipitate hail (see hail entry 1)
it was hailing hard
2
: to pour down or strike like hail
Bullets were hailing down on them.

hail

3 of 5

verb (2)

hailed; hailing; hails

transitive verb

1
a
: to greet with enthusiastic approval : acclaim
hailed as a great success
b
: salute, greet
returning soldiers hailed with parades
2
: to greet or summon by calling
hail a taxi

intransitive verb

: to call out
especially : to call a greeting to a passing ship
hailer noun

hail

4 of 5

interjection

1
used to express acclamation
hail to the chiefSir Walter Scott
2
archaic
used as a salutation

hail

5 of 5

noun (2)

1
: an exclamation of greeting or acclamation
greeted the emperor with a hail
2
: a calling to attract attention
3
: hearing distance
stayed within hail
Phrases
hail from
: to be or have been native to or a resident of
She hails from Chicago.

Examples of hail in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Downey has been hailed throughout the award season for his performance. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2024 What happened to Gig in Sacramento? Vehicle sharing has been hailed as a key climate solution to reduce planet-warming pollution for years. Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 The change was similarly hailed as beneficial for expanding student body diversity and the primary care workforce. Tricia Pendergrast, STAT, 7 Mar. 2024 Lil Tecca: The rising-star rapper, who hails from Queens and (later) Long Island, has had three albums and one mixtape make it into the top 20 of the Billboard 200. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 Jean Jacques, who hails from the coastal city of Port-de-Paix, is desperate to bring his brother’s children to the United States. Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Researchers involved in this discovery hailed from around the world, including Scotland, Germany, America and China. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 The policy didn't meet all demands from activists but it was still hailed as a victory for transparency on an issue that has played an important role in community mistrust of law enforcement. Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 The five young Black players were hailed as the best recruiting class in college-basketball history. Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2024
Noun
Based on the radar from the weather service in Phoenix, the rain was anticipated to be accompanied by small hail along with thunderstorms and gusty winds ranging from 20 to 30 mph west of Interstate 17. Kayla Jackson, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2024 While there could be gusty winds, small hail and heavy downpours, flash flooding is unlikely because the metro has received little precipitation in recent months. Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 The organization is currently monitoring the possibility of hail and heavy wind gusts. David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2024 Any thunderstorm that develops will be capable of producing heavy rain, lightning and small hail. Nicholas Merianos, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024 In a video posted to social media, lightning illuminated dark skies as rain and hail pummeled buildings and cars, but as of early morning, the National Weather Service had no reports of serious injuries or fatalities. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2024 Damaging wind gusts and large hail are the main risks associated with any severe storms, but a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 Coverage is changing rapidly, with premiums increasing as much as 500%, property deductibles for wind and hail and named storm perils now range between 2% up to 10% of total insurable value. Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Chavez was at his home in the 6900 block of 22nd Street when suspects drove by and unleashed a hail of bullets, according to previous Bee reporting. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English hægl; akin to Old High German hagal hail

Interjection, Verb (2), and Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old Norse heill, from heill healthy — more at whole

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Interjection

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hail was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hail

Cite this Entry

“Hail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hail. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hail

1 of 5 noun
1
: small lumps of ice that fall from clouds sometimes during thunderstorms
2
: something that gives the effect of falling hail
a hail of bullets

hail

2 of 5 verb
1
: to fall as hail
2
: to pour down like hail

hail

3 of 5 interjection
1
used to express enthusiastic approval
2
archaic
used as a greeting

hail

4 of 5 verb
1
b
: to greet with enthusiastic approval : acclaim
hailed them as heroes
2
: to summon by calling
hail a taxi
3
: to call out to
hail a passing ship

hail

5 of 5 noun
1
: an act or instance of hailing
2
: hearing distance
stayed within hail
Etymology

Noun

Old English hægl "lumps of ice, hail"

Interjection

Middle English hail (an interjection of approval or greeting), derived from early Norse heill "healthy" — related to hale entry 1, wassail

More from Merriam-Webster on hail

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