Word

hail

noun C1

/heɪl/

Meanings

noun

small balls of ice that fall from the sky during a storm

verb

to greet or praise someone enthusiastically, often publicly

verb

to fall in large quantities, like a sudden shower of many small objects

Definition

Hail is small balls of ice that fall from the sky during a storm.

Hail is frozen precipitation that forms in strong thunderstorms and falls as hard pellets or lumps of ice. It can arrive suddenly and often comes with heavy rain, thunder, and strong wind. Because it is solid and sometimes large, it can damage cars, roofs, and crops.

Examples

Hail hammered the windshield so loudly that I had to pull over and wait it out.
As we left the museum, hail began to bounce across the stone steps and scatter under our shoes.
Critics were quick to hail the film as a rare sequel that genuinely deepens the original story.
The mayor hailed the volunteers for their persistence after weeks of exhausting cleanup work.
When the alarm triggered, questions seemed to hail down on him from every corner of the room.

Common mistake

Learners often confuse hail (ice pellets) with sleet (a mix of rain and ice) and use the wrong word for the weather.