keening

kee-ning

verb

Making a long, loud, mournful cry, often as a traditional lament for the dead.

"The women were keening at the funeral."

noun

A long, loud, mournful cry, typically a traditional lament for the deceased.

"The mournful keening filled the air."

Thesaurus

Synonyms: lament, keen, intense, exquisite, penetrating, sharp, perceptive, incisive, acute, knifelike, penetrative, piercing