noun

hail

hayl

noun

Small, hard balls of ice that fall from the sky during a storm.

"The hail dented the roof of every car parked outside."

"They ran for cover when the hail started hammering the windshield."

A large number of things arriving quickly and forcefully, one after another.

"The politician faced a hail of criticism after the interview."

"A hail of arrows flew over the castle wall."

verb

To greet someone or call out to get their attention, often to praise or welcome them.

"Fans hailed the goalkeeper as a hero after the final save."

"He hailed a taxi from the corner of the street."

To come from a particular place originally.

"She hails from a small fishing town in Scotland."

"The band's lead singer hails from Dublin."

How to Use Hail

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither icy rain pellets, a fast burst of things coming at you, or a way of calling out to greet someone or say where they're from.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "hale," which describes someone in good health.

Easily confused with

hale →

Common pairings

hail a taxi a hail of bullets hail from somewhere hail as a hero

Word Forms

hailer comparative, hailed past tense, hailed past tense, hails plural, Hails plural, hails singular, hails singular, hailest superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The _____ dented the roof of every car parked outside.

Etymology

From Old English hægl ("hail"), an ancient Germanic word for icy precipitation, related to a very old root meaning "pebble" or "cold." The greeting sense comes from a separate but similarly old use of "hail" as a shout of welcome.

Rhymes for hail

rail tail pail mail nail sail fail jail vail bail wail quail

See all rhymes for hail →