to emit a hollow, loud, animal cry, as a bull or cow.
to roar; bawl.
bellowing with rage.
(intr) to make a loud deep raucous cry like that of a bull; roar
to shout (something) unrestrainedly, as in anger or pain; bawl
the characteristic noise of a bull
a loud deep sound, as of pain or anger
See cry.
before 1000; Middle English belwen, akin to Old English bylgan to roar (compare for the vowel Old High German bullôn ); extended form akin to bell 2
To bellow is to shout in a deep, angry voice. If you constantly bellow at other drivers on the road, consider signing up for anger management classes. Bellow comes from Middle English, and means "to roar like a bull." A cow's deep moo is called a low, so bellow just adds a big angry bull to the standard moo. We use bellow for human speech that has that angry power of a loud bovine, or for any loud, threatening noise. It can be a noun, as in the bellow of the thundercloud, or a verb, as when you bellow at your kid brother.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The true artist must be the voice of opposition, of negativity, and should bellow “No! in thunder”—the phrase is Melville’s—to the easy affirmations of our complacent society.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
This novel is a big, Bellovian bellow about the complex life of Cal Stephanides, an intersex person who grows up in midcentury Detroit during its boom years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2025
Then he gently squeezes a bellow, pouring smoke into the hives of honeybees in his garden.
From Salon ● Nov. 14, 2024
From the cricket’s chirp to the bullfrog’s bellow, you might think that nature is awash in music.
From National Geographic ● Feb. 14, 2024
I had no idea how long he’d been there—probably as long as the high-pitched whining had been sounding over the bellow of the engine—certainly minutes.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
In a 2002 speech at the American Enterprise Institute, he summed up his outlook by recalling a line uttered by an aunt of Saul Bellow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025
That evening, while walking the dog, I found a Saul Bellow novel from 1982 sitting on a stoop.
From New York Times ● Feb. 24, 2024
Author Saul Bellow, leaders of the Underground Railroad and high-definition images from the James Webb Space Telescope highlight the 2024 stamp-issuing program of the U.S.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 23, 2023
Viewers Sharon Bagozzi of Virginia Beach, Virginia, is thankful for an episode with actor Tajh Bellow, who spoke about having ADHD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 16, 2023
This was all distilled for me in a quote I once read from the novelist Saul Bellow.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
He just stops, and bellows out the word that means most to him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
It’s 6 a.m., and he bellows for me.
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
He has a voice, provided by Aaron LaPlante, but communicates with Fang in grunts and bellows.
From Salon ● Feb. 1, 2026
To learn how to restore his instrument, Rinaudo enlisted the help of a mechanic friend who taught him how to fix all the valves, gears, pipes and bellows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2025
How many bellows would they ever have to ask for?
From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye
Including the fellow whose name was being bellowed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
"One more year, one more year Casemiro," bellowed the Stretford End as the Brazilian midfielder made his way down the tunnel to the Manchester United dressing room.
From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026
"Assemble!" someone bellowed in the prison corridor, cutting through the silence.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
Mamdani bellowed on the oversized television screens hung throughout the Greyhound Bar & Grill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2025
King Smoit bellowed and slapped his massive thighs.
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
When the legendary frontman begins to sing, Mr. Jagger sounds enormous, bellowing with his full range while remaining in key.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
While he said he hasn’t been among those bellowing that oil was headed to $200 a barrel, he didn’t sell any of his positions either.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
Who is bellowing “I am an actor” at the top of their lungs this morning?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2026
Since we came for the shock value, the camera shoves our faces in its guts, bellowing to eat up.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2024
Martin’s bellowing voice was either echoing around in my mind, or it was actually getting closer.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
