Meaning & use

hail

verb·Academic

To greet or acclaim someone or something with enthusiasm and approval.

See it in a sentence

Critics hailed the young director's first film as a masterpiece.

The crowd hailed the returning soldiers as heroes when they marched through downtown.

A note on using this word

Hail also names small pellets of ice that fall during a storm, a completely different sense from the verb of praise.

Words with a similar meaning

acclaimpraise

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. noun

Small, hard pellets of ice that fall from thunderstorm clouds.

Hail the size of golf balls dented cars parked outside during the storm.

3. verb

To signal or call out to someone, especially to stop a vehicle or attract attention.

He stood on the curb and hailed a taxi to get to the airport.

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