hail
B2Neutral to formal, depending on sense. The precipitation sense is neutral. The 'acclaim' sense is more formal. 'Hail from' is neutral.
Definition
Meaning
Precipitation in the form of small, hard balls of ice falling from the sky; or, to call out to someone, often to attract attention.
The verb can also mean to praise or acclaim enthusiastically, or (in 'hail from') to have one's origin in a place. The noun can metaphorically refer to a large number of things arriving rapidly and forcefully.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is a clear homograph: the precipitation and the verb (to call/acclaim) are etymologically distinct words that converged in spelling. Context always disambiguates.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use all senses. The idiom 'within hailing distance' is slightly more common in UK English.
Connotations
Identical across varieties.
Frequency
The precipitation sense is more frequent in everyday contexts. 'Hail a taxi' is universally common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Hail + OBJECT (e.g., hail a cab)Hail + OBJECT + as + NOUN/PHRASE (e.g., hailed her as a genius)Hail + from + PLACE (e.g., hails from Leeds)SUBJECT + BE + hailed by + AGENT (e.g., was hailed by the critics)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “hail-fellow-well-met”
- “within hailing distance”
- “hail Mary (pass/attempt)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Formally used in press releases: 'The new CEO was hailed as a visionary.'
Academic
Used in historical/geographical texts: 'The settlers hailed primarily from coastal regions.'
Everyday
Discussing weather or transport: 'It's hailing!' or 'Let's hail a cab.'
Technical
Meteorology: 'The hailstorm produced stones up to 2cm in diameter.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He stood on the kerb to hail a black cab.
- The minister was hailed as a champion of reform.
- Where do you hail from, originally?
American English
- She stepped into the street to hail a yellow cab.
- Critics hailed the film as a masterpiece.
- My family hails from the Midwest.
adverb
British English
- 'Hail' is not standardly used as an adverb.
American English
- 'Hail' is not standardly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- 'Hail' is not standardly used as an adjective.
American English
- 'Hail' is not standardly used as an adjective.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Look! It's hailing!
- I hail the bus every morning.
- The hail was very noisy on the roof.
- We got caught in a sudden hailstorm.
- She hailed from a small village in Scotland.
- He tried to hail a taxi but they were all busy.
- The proposal was met with a hail of criticism from opposition MPs.
- They hailed the agreement as a major breakthrough for peace.
- The car's bodywork was dented by hail damage.
- A hail of gunfire erupted from the building.
- The venerable professor, hailing from an era of pure scholarship, lamented the new commercial focus.
- His latest novel has been universally hailed by the literati.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine trying to HAIL a taxi during a HAILstorm. You're shouting (hailing) through a shower of ice (hail).
Conceptual Metaphor
CRITICISM/ATTACKS ARE HAIL ('a hail of questions'), ORIGIN IS A DEPARTURE POINT ('hail from').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'health' toast 'Ваше здоровье!'. 'Hail' is not used for toasting.
- 'Hail from' ≠ 'приветствовать из'. It means 'родом из'.
- The noun 'град' (hail) and the verb 'окликать/приветствовать' (to hail) are different words, just like in English.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'She is hailing of Canada.' Correct: 'She hails from Canada.'
- Incorrect preposition with 'acclaim' sense: 'They hailed him for a hero.' Correct: 'They hailed him as a hero.'
- Confusing 'hail' with 'heel' or 'hall' in spelling.
Practice
Quiz
In the sentence 'She hails from a long line of musicians,' what does 'hails from' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in the 'call out/greet' sense. Both are related to Old English words for health and greeting. It is not related to the precipitation 'hail'.
It is extremely archaic and not used in modern English, except in very specific, jokingly formal contexts. Use 'hello' or 'hi'.
Hail is solid balls of ice, often in warm-weather storms. Sleet is a mix of rain and melting snow, a winter precipitation. They are meteorologically distinct.
It primarily implies a visual signal like waving, but historically meant to call out. Today, the action of getting a cab's attention by any means is 'hailing' one.
Collections
Part of a collection
Weather
A2 · 45 words · Describing the weather, climate and seasons.