howl

verb

ˈhau̇(-ə)l 

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

Synonyms

• bay
• keen
• ululate
• wail
• yowl

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

Every so often, one of the firefighters howled like a wolf and the crew howled back. —M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

The rain started falling, the winds started howling, and the phones started ringing. —The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento Bee, 26 Jan. 2025

Lynn Schmidt, better known to Kansas City Chiefs fans as Weird Wolf, has spent 25 seasons leading cheers and howling in the stands, solidifying his place as a legendary NFL superfan. —Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2025

Real animal behavior, not howling at the moon, is something that maybe hasn’t been depicted: how wolves hunt and call to each other. —Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Jan. 2025

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

Phrases Containing howl

• howl with laughter

Kids Definition

howl

verb

ˈhau̇(ə)l 

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