variants
chiefly US meow
or British miaow
1
: the cry of a cat
2
: a spiteful or malicious remark
meow
intransitive verb
(chiefly US) or British miaow
Examples of meow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The first meow is rather standard and calm, and the second one is a bit more urgent-sounding.
—
Nora Colomer, Fox News, 27 Mar. 2024
What is the meaning of a cat’s meow that grows louder and louder?
—Anthony Ham, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
For every kid in the compound, the sound of that door was a cat’s meow to a family of mice.
—Mohammed Naseehu Ali, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
The study also suggested that a cat’s meows and other vocalizations are greatly misinterpreted and that people should consider both vocal and visual cues to try to determine what’s going on with their pets.
—Anthony Ham, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
While aiming for each target, 20 healthy young adults heard a unique sound such as a meow, drumroll or bell.
—Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024
The toy, created for elder care, can blink, meow and roll over.
—Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2023
The North Face Cat’s Meow ($169) is, well, the cat’s meow.
—Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 13 Apr. 2023
The lack of morning meows and scattering of loose cat toys sent me reeling with grief.
—Hannah Baxter, Glamour, 14 Aug. 2023
Nora Colomer, Fox News, 27 Mar. 2024
What is the meaning of a cat’s meow that grows louder and louder?
—Anthony Ham, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
For every kid in the compound, the sound of that door was a cat’s meow to a family of mice.
—Mohammed Naseehu Ali, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
The study also suggested that a cat’s meows and other vocalizations are greatly misinterpreted and that people should consider both vocal and visual cues to try to determine what’s going on with their pets.
—Anthony Ham, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
While aiming for each target, 20 healthy young adults heard a unique sound such as a meow, drumroll or bell.
—Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024
The toy, created for elder care, can blink, meow and roll over.
—Tatum Hunter, Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2023
The North Face Cat’s Meow ($169) is, well, the cat’s meow.
—Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 13 Apr. 2023
The lack of morning meows and scattering of loose cat toys sent me reeling with grief.
—Hannah Baxter, Glamour, 14 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meow.' 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
imitative
First Known Use
1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing meow
Dictionary Entries Near meow
Cite this Entry
“Meow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meow. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on meow
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for meow
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share