howl

verb

\ ˈhau̇(-ə)l

howled; howling; howls

Definition of howl

intransitive verb

1 : to emit a loud sustained doleful sound characteristic of members of the dog family

2 : to cry out loudly and without restraint under strong impulse (such as pain, grief, or amusement)

3 : to go on a spree or rampage

transitive verb

1 : to utter with unrestrained outcry

2 : to drown out or cause to fail by adverse outcry —used especially with down

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Examples of howl in a Sentence

The dogs were howling at the moon. several coyotes began howling close by as the sun went down

Recent Examples on the Web

Those who were less fortunate, unprotected, were temporarily blinded, howling, clutching one another, arms out, skin inflamed, snot pouring from noses, some with foam bubbling at their lips. — Christopher Ketcham, Harper's magazine, "A Play with No End," 22 July 2019 Maybe not in that identical moment, but in some other way, howling at the moon, waiting for answers. — Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, "Watching Malik McDowell tussle with police is a gut punch. He was a star," 10 July 2019 Punch has the howling crowd once more in the palm of his hand. — Robert Coover, The New Yorker, "Citizen Punch," 18 July 2019 In the next episode, which is about mountains, we are set down beside a howling snow leopard high on a Himalayan ridge. — Sebastian Smee, chicagotribune.com, "Are nature documentaries the greatest art of our time?," 11 July 2019 In the next episode, which is about mountains, we are set down beside a howling snow leopard high on a Himalayan ridge. — Author: Sebastian Smee, Anchorage Daily News, "Are nature documentaries the greatest art of our time?," 10 July 2019 In the next episode, which is about mountains, we are set down beside a howling snow leopard high on a Himalayan ridge. — Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, "Are nature documentaries the greatest art of our time?," 9 July 2019 Respect the original too little, and there’s bound to be howling. — Ellen Gray, https://www.inquirer.com, "‘Big Little Lies’ & ‘A Handmaid’s Tale’: Still things to see here?," 4 June 2019 No, Kerr knew this was Iggy time -- Warriors up against it, on the road, crowd howling, roof caving in, dream floating away. — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "Goodbye Andre Iguodala: You will be missed," 1 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'howl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

7 Aug 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for howl

The first known use of howl was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for howl

howl

verb

English Language Learners Definition of howl

of a dog, wolf, etc. : to make a long, loud cry that sounds sad

of the wind : to make a long, loud sound

: to cry out loudly in pain, anger, amusement, etc.

See the full definition for howl in the English Language Learners Dictionary

howl

verb

\ ˈhau̇l

howled; howling

Kids Definition of howl

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to make a loud long mournful cry or sound Wolves howled at the moon. Wind was howling through the trees.

2 : to cry out loudly (as with pain or amusement) The audience howled with laughter.

howl

noun

Kids Definition of howl (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a loud long mournful sound made by dogs and related animals (as wolves)

2 : a long loud cry (as of distress, disappointment, or rage) A howl … of dismay went up from the creatures …— C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe