howl Hear it!

howl Definition

howl (ho̵ul)

intransitive verb

  1. to utter the long, loud, wailing cry of wolves, dogs, etc.
  2. to utter a similar cry of pain, anger, grief, etc.
  3. to make a sound like this the wind howls
  4. to shout or laugh in scorn, mirth, etc.

Etymology: ME hulen, akin to Ger heulen < IE echoic base *kāu- > Sans kāuti, (it) cries, OHG hūwila, owl

transitive verb

  1. to utter with a howl or howls
  2. to drive or effect by howling

noun

  1. a long, loud, wailing cry of a wolf, dog, etc.
  2. any similar sound
  3. Informal something hilarious; joke

howl Idioms

howl down

to drown out with shouts of scorn or anger

someone's night to howl

someone's time for unrestrained pleasure it was his night to howl

howl Synonyms

howl

n.

moan, wail, lament; see cry 2, yell 1.

howl Synonyms

howl

v.

bawl, wail, lament; see cry 3, yell.

one's night to howl

time for fun, relaxation, recreation; see leisure.

howl Usage Examples

Object

  • gale: Climbing Ben Nevis in a howling gale at night can never be taken for granted!
  • mob: Wayne and Claire watched him leave and later he was driven away past a howling mob.
  • wilderness: If he stood alone in a howling wilderness he was more than a man; he was a church.
  • draft: A poor English breakfast at a high price in a narrow room with a howling draft.
  • wolf: Like a howling wolf his shouts break out, through the forest.
  • wind: Vertical, lashing rain with a dash of howling wind thrown in for good measure.

Converse of object

provoke: It was the moves by the Chávez government to take control of oil industry that provoked the most immediate howls of outrage.

Preposition: at

moon: I do not think there is anything stupid or ignorant about howling at the moon or being afraid of devils in the dark.

Adjective modifier

loud: It detonated, leaving only a loud high pitched howl and the smell of burning web behind.

Noun used with modifier

wolf: Whereupon the old wolf sat down, pointed nose at the moon, and broke out the long wolf howl.

Preposition: of

  • derision: The howls of derision produced a U-turn within hours on Thursday.
  • outrage: Once the students see the exam there is a howl of justifiable outrage.
  • anguish: There would be no more howls of anguish for that night.
  • laughter: Now I don't know when these rugged East German machines became the object of derision and howls of laughter among motorcyclists.
  • wolf: Not the howl of a wolf in the wild.
  • protest: I see in the work of Marc Rees a howl of protest against this.

Preposition: with

  • laughter: He had the audience howling with laughter 5 minutes into the gig.
  • rage: Howling with rage like an animal he leaped at a weapon propped up against the wall of the cave.

Followed by an intransitive particle

along: Seamus is an acoustic blues song which features a dog howling along.

Preposition: like

wolf: They were howling like wolves out in the passage, and muskets were crashing against the door.

Browse dictionary entries near howl

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