caterwaul

cat·er·waul

verb \ˈka-tər-ˌwȯl\

Definition of CATERWAUL

intransitive verb

1

: to make a harsh cry

2

: to protest or complain noisily

— caterwaul noun

Examples of CATERWAUL

1. Some animal was caterwauling in my backyard last night.
2. He continues to caterwaul about having to take the blame.

Origin of CATERWAUL

Middle English caterwawen

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CATERWAUL

Synonyms: beef, bellyache, bitch, bleat, carp, complain, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grizzle, grouch, grouse, growl, grumble, grump, holler, inveigh, keen, kick, kvetch, maunder [chiefly British], moan, murmur, mutter, nag, repine, scream, squawk, squeal, wail, whimper, whine, whinge [British], yammer, yawp (or yaup), yowl

Antonyms: crow, delight, rejoice

Related Words: object (to), protest, quarrel (with); cavil, quibble; fret, stew, worry; blubber, cry, sob; bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament

Near Antonyms: accept, bear, countenance, endure, take, tolerate; applaud, cheer, commend

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Rhymes with CATERWAUL

above all, aerosol, after all, alcohol, all in all, altar call, barbital, basketball, body wall, borough hall, buckyball, butanol, butterball, buttonball, cannonball, carryall, cattle call, Chinese wall, city hall, climbing wall, conference call, cortisol, cover-all, coverall, crystal ball, curtain call, Demerol, disenthrall, Donegal, entresol, ethanol, evenfall, free-for-all, gasohol, girasole, gopher ball, Grand Guignol, haute école, hiring hall, judgment call, know-it-all, knuckleball, Komsomol, matzo ball, Mendenhall, methanol, music hall, Montreal, Nembutal, off-the-wall, overall, overcall, overhaul, paddleball, parasol, party wall, Pentothal, preinstall, protocol, racquetball, Seconal, Senegal, shopping mall, study hall, tattersall, tetherball, therewithal, timolol, uninstall, urban sprawl, volleyball, wailing wall, wake-up call, wall-to-wall, warts-and-all, waterfall, wherewithal