yowl

1 of 2

verb

ˈyau̇(-ə)l 

yowled; yowling; yowls

intransitive verb

1

: to utter a loud long cry of grief, pain, or distress : wail

2

: to complain or protest with or as if with yowls

transitive verb

: to express with yowling

yowl

2 of 2

noun

: a loud long mournful wail or howl (as of a cat)

Synonyms

Verb

• beef
• bellyache
• bitch
• bleat
• carp
• caterwaul
• complain
• crab
• croak
• fuss
• gripe
• grizzle
• grouch
• grouse
• growl
• grumble
• grump
• holler
• inveigh
• keen
• kick
• kvetch
• maunder [chiefly British]
• moan
• murmur
• mutter
• nag
• repine
• scream
• squawk
• squeal
• wail
• whimper
• whine
• whinge [British]
• yammer
• yawp
• yaup

Noun

• cry
• holler
• hoot
• howl
• shout
• whoop
• yell

Examples of yowl in a Sentence

Verb

The cat was yowling outside.

He was yowling in pain.

Noun

the cat gave a yowl of anger

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In one number, Swinton, who goes glossy-eyed to show the cracks in her high-fashion veneer, poses in a transparent rain slicker while bleating raw, yowling noises that blend with the despairing strings. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024

The music video for the song weaves together footage from each of the sessions: Slash with his bandmates cutting the song live, Johnson getting into the groove, and Tyler yowling between harp bursts. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024

Noun

The guitar riffs recall how Mastodon sounded circa Leviathan, paired with Blythe’s inimitable yowls. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2024

The cat sometimes unleashed a penetrating yowl that reminded Ducrot of her husband’s final days. —Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

yowl

verb

ˈyau̇(ə)l

: to utter a loud long often mournful cry or howl

the cats were yowling all night

yowl noun