weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth

noun

Consternation; worry.

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Meanings

nounweeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (uncountable)
  1. figurativelyuncountableConsternation; worry.

    There was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth in the camp of the outsiders now.

    1883, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “The Pilots’ Monopoly”, in Life on the Mississippi, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, →OCLC, page 187
    2 more examples

    There was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth in South Melbourne last Saturday night. For weeks past there had been only one topic of conversation—football.

    1910, The Old Man, Melbourne: Punch, published 1910, page 6

    And there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth among the crowd of reporters invited to the Stellan Holm Gallery, then promptly expelled from it, on Sunday night.

    2005, Corey Kilgannon, “You Probably Say That to All Naughty Columnists”, in New York Times

Origin

Biblical, from Matthew 13:42, although the exact wording is not present in any translation.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish itku ja hammasten kiristys
  • itku ja hammasten kiristysconsternation, worry
French pleurs et grincements de dents
  • pleurs et grincements de dentsconsternation, worry
German Heulen und Zähneklappern, Heulen und Zähneknirschen
  • Heulen und Zähneklappernconsternation, worry
  • Heulen und Zähneknirschenconsternation, worry
Greek ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων
  • ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων (o klafthmós kaí o vrygmós tón odónton)consternation, worry
Hungarian sírás és fogcsikorgatás
  • sírás és fogcsikorgatásconsternation, worry
Norwegian Bokmål gråt og tenners gnissel
  • gråt og tenners gnisselconsternation, worry
Polish płacz i zgrzytanie zębów
  • płacz i zgrzytanie zębówconsternation, worry
Portuguese choro e ranger de dentes
  • choro e ranger de dentesconsternation, worry
Russian плач и скре́жет зубо́в, плач и скре́жет зубо́вный
  • плач и скре́жет зубо́в (plač i skréžet zubóv)consternation, worry
  • плач и скре́жет зубо́вный (plač i skréžet zubóvnyj)consternation, worry
Spanish llanto y rechinar de dientes
  • llanto y rechinar de dientesconsternation, worry
Swedish gråt och tandagnisslan
  • gråt och tandagnisslanconsternation, worry
Vietnamese khóc lóc nghiến răng
  • khóc lóc nghiến răngconsternation, worry
Cite this entry
APA

weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weeping%20and%20wailing%20and%20gnashing%20of%20teeth

MLA

“weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weeping%20and%20wailing%20and%20gnashing%20of%20teeth. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weeping%20and%20wailing%20and%20gnashing%20of%20teeth.

Source: weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.