as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
like many kids during summer vacation, they were caterwauling about the lack of things to do
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Recent Examples of caterwaul
Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2023
Until Ivey and the Department of Corrections can explain how the prison construction program caterwauled out of control, lawmakers should put the brakes on all state spending.
—Kyle Whitmire, al, 17 Mar. 2023
An ambulance caterwauled down Sunset Boulevard, which runs parallel one block below.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022
Republicans could caterwaul about the skyrocketing debt without actually having to do anything about it except express their disapproval. Getting most creative.
—Zachary B. Wolf, CNN, 29 Sep. 2021
In a season of a lively baseball, the Twins hit a silly number of home runs and came caterwauling out of the great north and took their division.
—Michael Powell, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2019
The media–Democrat caterwauling over Trump’s election-rigging spiel was not rooted in patriotic commitment to the American democratic tradition of accepting election outcomes.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 16 Aug. 2019
Media outlets that caterwaul about all this become the victims of commercial crises.
—The Economist, 21 June 2018
This lets Congress caterwaul on behalf of special interests while blaming Presidents for not punishing foreigners.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 7 June 2018
Verb
That said, Shelton’s lyrics are much more darkly relatable and heartbreaking than someone caterwauling about being their own worst enemy.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2023
Until Ivey and the Department of Corrections can explain how the prison construction program caterwauled out of control, lawmakers should put the brakes on all state spending.
—Kyle Whitmire, al, 17 Mar. 2023
An ambulance caterwauled down Sunset Boulevard, which runs parallel one block below.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022
Republicans could caterwaul about the skyrocketing debt without actually having to do anything about it except express their disapproval. Getting most creative.
—Zachary B. Wolf, CNN, 29 Sep. 2021
In a season of a lively baseball, the Twins hit a silly number of home runs and came caterwauling out of the great north and took their division.
—Michael Powell, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2019
The media–Democrat caterwauling over Trump’s election-rigging spiel was not rooted in patriotic commitment to the American democratic tradition of accepting election outcomes.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 16 Aug. 2019
Media outlets that caterwaul about all this become the victims of commercial crises.
—The Economist, 21 June 2018
This lets Congress caterwaul on behalf of special interests while blaming Presidents for not punishing foreigners.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 7 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caterwaul
Verb
-
Eleven years later, Ajo resident Bill Eltzroth complained to the county and ADEQ that the facility’s operations coated his back porch in thick black dust.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Unimpressed watchers took to social to complain.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On the floor, hundreds of people convulse to Blanco Teta’s ravenous yowls and monster-truck basslines off their July album La debacle de las divas.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
18 Feb. 2026
-
At the time, the two girls were seen as rivals, with Debbie’s theatrical voice vs. Tiffany’s countrified yowl.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The immaculate slouchiness of this pullover screams spring in the best way, especially when paired with a denim skirt or barrel jeans.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Hallways filled with screaming kids?—
Stephan Bisaha,
NPR,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This causes a blast of high-energy radiation called a gamma-ray burst (GRB), a final screech of gravitational waves, and sends out a spray of neutron-rich matter, which allows a process to occur that generates very heavy but unstable elements.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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The only noise is the dip-dip of oars and the ethereal screech of horseshoe bats.—
Tristan Rutherford,
Robb Report,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After months and months of ceaseless whining about the doxxing of ICE agents, there hasn’t been a single peep from Attorney General Pam Bondi about the future of facial recognition in Meta glasses.—
Sarah Jeong,
The Verge,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The engine whine increases again, and the helicopter flies off, spraying us with fine powder.—
Brent Rose,
Outside,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Aquilla Sadalla’s wordless vocals, a gorgeous swell of howls and heaves, complement the arrangement without becoming the focal point.—
Mark Richardson,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2026
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At about two this morning, the familiar howl of air-raid sirens woke me in the center of Kyiv, followed by the low thuds of anti-aircraft cannons attempting to shoot down Russian drones.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Freight House building creaks and moans underfoot, and passing trains produce little more than a subtle hum.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Back in the car, Albert moans and groans while Billie shrieks in panic.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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He was missed — especially vocally — since Gill’s angelic voice does not, in any way shape or form, resemble Walsh’s charmingly out-of-pitch squawk-talk style.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
25 Jan. 2026
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Toy keyboard plinks and saxophone squawks spiral over a booming racket of drums in the ether, slyly threatening to collapse, like an elaborate plate-spinning act.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Caterwaul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caterwaul. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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