howler

noun

howl·​er ˈhau̇-lər How to pronounce howler (audio)
1
b
: one that howls
2
: a humorous and ridiculous blunder

Examples of howler in a Sentence

The article was full of howlers.
Recent Examples on the Web The park is also home to diverse types of monkeys, including capuchin, spider and howler. Roger Sands, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Along the way, Pigliucci touches on howlers like creationism and astrology, and borderland areas of research like SETI—and weighs whether science can ever hope to test claims about the supernatural. Chris Mooney, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2010 Second, do not let howlers like her comments stand. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2023 The latest New York howler is an attempt to upend the $70 trillion global sovereign debt market by capping private creditor recoveries when low-income countries default. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 31 May 2023 Needless to say, this analogy was such a howler that many, many people besides just me took fingers to keyboard to lambaste Robert Bryce, the author of that OpEd. Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2011 The notice, which was also attributed to the musician’s other three children — Osian, Dimitri and Nathaniel — did not disclose a cause of death for the rock howler who is credited with helping to usher in the modern metal sound via the trio’s bottom-heavy, urgent attack. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 11 Jan. 2022 The whooping calls of howler monkeys were an effective alarm. Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2015 Just one more item, and please don't expect a howler. Celia Storey, Arkansas Online, 21 Nov. 2022

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

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of howler was in 1800

Dictionary Entries Near howler

Cite this Entry

“Howler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/howler. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

howler

noun
howl·​er ˈhau̇-lər How to pronounce howler (audio)
1
: one that howls
2
: a stupid and ridiculous blunder

More from Merriam-Webster on howler

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