howl

verb \ ˈhau̇(-ə)l \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: howl in a Sentence

Definition of howl

howled; howling; howls

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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howl

noun

See howl defined for English-language learners

See howl defined for kids

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 of howl from the Web

Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, the front women of the incendiary heavy metal band Butcher Babies, howled about a bacchanal party during their performance Saturday at the Kansas Speedway.

— bill brownlee, kansascity, "Rockfest at the Kansas Speedway draws 30,000 — a big, loud, happy family," 3 June 2018
Josh Kiszka, in his dark tunic and feather headband, held court at center stage, where his petite frame was belied by the powerful, elastic voice that howled and shrieked from it.

— brian mccollum, Detroit Free Press, "Greta Van Fleet nails the high notes at Fillmore Detroit in homecoming kickoff," 23 May 2018
There was nothing there—just the coyotes howling and the wind shaking the nearby bushes.

— The Atlantic, "Is Social Media Luring Hikers Into 'Death Gully'?," 17 May 2018
The strait runs between two mountain ranges, meaning howling winds blow through its narrow confines.

— New York Times, "Putin Opens Bridge to Crimea, Cementing Russia’s Hold on Neighbor," 15 May 2018
As the storm cranks up Friday, howling winds will accompany the snow, and blizzard warnings stretch from northeast Colorado through north central South Dakota.

— jason samenow, Washington Post, "Wild storm charging across nation to unleash all modes of extreme weather through the weekend," 12 Apr. 2018
Trump has howled in all caps for nearly a year as the Justice Department has delved deeper and deeper into his orbit.

— author: philip rucker, josh dawsey, robert costa, Anchorage Daily News, "‘A bomb on Trump’s front porch’: FBI’s Cohen raids hit home for the president," 10 Apr. 2018
The Orlando suburb where he was raised, Winter Park, was crisscrossed by three storms — Charley, Frances and Jeanne — that didn’t spare his neighborhood howling gusts and long blackouts.

— elizabeth koh, miamiherald, "How does an inexperienced 30-year-old become hurricane chief? Win Rick Scott's trust. | Miami Herald," 25 May 2018
There is a genuinely funny cameo, an incredibly ballsy gag lifted from one of the best X-Force comics ever made, and a post-credits scene that will probably have most audiences howling.

— joshua rivera, GQ, "Deadpool 2 Review: It Spends Too Much Time Getting Itself Off," 19 May 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.

Origin and Etymology of howl

Middle English houlen; akin to Middle High German hiulen to howl

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

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howl Synonyms

HOWL Defined for English Language Learners

howl

verb

Definition of howl for English Language Learners

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.

HOWL Defined for Kids

howl

verb \ ˈhau̇l \

Definition of howl for Students

howled; howling

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

Definition of howl for Students

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

Learn More about howl

See words that rhyme with howl Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for howl Spanish Central: Translation of howl Nglish: Translation of howl for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of howl for Arabic speakers

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howl

Examples of howl in a Sentence

Recent Examples of howl from the Web

Origin and Etymology of howl

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HOWL Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of howl for English Language Learners

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