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
howl noun

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 At the start, the sound effects by Robert Mackenzie might be wind but also might double as a moan or howl. Caryn James, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2024 Ever since, activists opposed to school choice, and their media allies, have howled in protest against the enactment of Arizona’s universal ESA program, claiming ... Matt Beienburg, National Review, 14 Sep. 2024 Soon, a rowdy crowd of thousands will be howling along with 49. Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024 In Marquette’s tower, the howling wind rattles so violently that the structure sways. Story Hinckley, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for howl 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'howl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near howl

Cite this Entry

“Howl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/howl. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

howl

verb
1
: to make a long loud mournful sound like that of a dog
2
: to cry out loudly (as with pain, grief, or amusement)
howled in protest
howling with laughter
3
: to drown out or cause to fail by an outcry
howled down the opposition
howl noun

More from Merriam-Webster on howl

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