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

Like howling, licking up peanut butter, and comfy chairs for snuggling in. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Pete Buttigieg and Chasten Glezman's Dogs Have More Social Media Game Than I Do," 28 Mar. 2019 Democrats and liberals howled, calling it an unprecedentedly partisan Supreme Court vetting process. — Andrew Prokop, Vox, "Why the Senate majority leader keeps pushing so hard to confirm Brett Kavanaugh.," 3 Oct. 2018 Had President Trump been the one soft-pedaling Russia’s treaty violations and proposing more talks, wouldn’t some Democrats have howled that his passivity was further evidence of an infatuation with Vladimir Putin? — WSJ, "Who in Government Really Is Helping the Russians?," 11 Feb. 2019 Seabirds howl like banshees, and seal colonies, numbering in the thousands, bubble and blip among the waves. — Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, "Going Off-Grid in Namibia," 21 Dec. 2018 Critics howled during the early days of the campaign, when cable news carried Trump’s rallies live and uninterrupted. — Isaac Stanley-becker, The Seattle Times, "Critics demand networks fact-check Trump’s live immigration speech," 8 Jan. 2019 When Li Po was 5, his father moved the family southeast to Sichuan, a mystic land known for its majestic mountains, lush green rivers, howling gibbons and spicy food. — Yunte Huang, WSJ, "‘The Banished Immortal’ Review: ‘Heaven Begot a Talent Like Me’," 11 Jan. 2019 Winds batter ridges where seabirds howl like banshees, and jackals stalk baroque canyons of soft crumbling rock. — Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, "Going Off-Grid in Namibia," 21 Dec. 2018 Farmhouse-loving Fixer Upper fans will howl for Joanna's black-and-white collar, toy rope, leash, and pet bed, too. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, Country Living, "Joanna Gaines Just Dropped the Cutest Christmas Collection for Pets at Target," 4 Dec. 2018

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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Dictionary Entries near howl

Statistics for howl

Last Updated

1 May 2019

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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