bawling

American  

[baw-ling] / ˈbɔ lɪŋ /

adjective

1. crying or wailing lustily.

   On one of our trips we were kept awake most of the night by a bawling kid—and that kid was you!

   The mooing, bawling calf seemed to be an orphan.

2. shouting loudly, especially to be heard outdoors, over other noise, or by a large group.

   He’s doing his basic training under a bawling drill sergeant who screams orders at the recruits.

---

noun

1. the act of crying, wailing, or shouting.

   After recess I have to put up with the bawling of kids at each other across the classroom, still arguing about playtime disputes.

Etymology

Origin of bawling

First recorded in 1570–80; bawl ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; bawl ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

He added that after performing in front of the cast they were "bawling their eyes out".

From BBC • Oct. 22, 2025

But the book comes superbly to life in its character sketches, its bawling dialogue and its rugged sense of place.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

I was mourning that I didn’t take my daughter’s pictures she painted for me and I was just bawling because clothes, shoes, dishes, they’re all replaceable, but this stuff will never be replaced.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2025

"Then I stood in her kitchen with the shock and the terror of seeing my house burn. I was bawling my eyes out."

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2024

She went bawling after Jim to get out of the bathroom and drive her to church.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam