howl
Americanverb (used without object)
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howls,
present (3rd person singular)
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howled,
past participle, past
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howling
present participle
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to utter a loud, prolonged, mournful cry, as that of a dog or wolf.
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to utter a similar cry in distress, pain, rage, etc.; wail.
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to make a sound like an animal howling.
The wind howls through the trees.
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Informal. to go on a spree; enjoy oneself without restraint.
verb (used with object)
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howls,
present (3rd person singular)
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howled,
past participle, past
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howling
present participle
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to utter with howls.
to howl the bad news.
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to drive or force by howls (often followed bydown ).
to howl down the opposition.
noun
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howls
plural
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the cry of a dog, wolf, etc.
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a cry or wail, as of pain, rage, or protest.
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a sound like wailing.
the howl of the wind.
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a loud, scornful laugh or yell.
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something that causes a laugh or a scornful yell, as a joke or funny or embarrassing situation.
noun
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a long plaintive cry or wail characteristic of a wolf or hound
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a similar cry of pain or sorrow
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slang
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a person or thing that is very funny
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a prolonged outburst of laughter
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electronics an unwanted prolonged high-pitched sound produced by a sound-producing system as a result of feedback
verb
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to express in a howl or utter such cries
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(intr) (of the wind, etc) to make a wailing noise
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informal (intr) to shout or laugh
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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howlsimple
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howlssimple
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have howledperfect
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has howledperfect
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am howlingprogressive
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are howlingprogressive
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is howlingprogressive
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have been howlingperfect progressive
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has been howlingperfect progressive
Past
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howledsimple
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had howledperfect
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was howlingprogressive
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were howlingprogressive
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had been howlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of howl
1300–50; Middle English hulen, houlen (v.); cognate with Dutch huilen, Low German hülen, German heulen, Danish hyle; akin to Old Norse ȳla
Explanation
To howl is to make a long, sad, crying sound. You might howl every once in a while, but it's more common to hear wolves and dogs let loose and howl, especially in the presence of a full moon. Terribly sad or fearful people howl, and wolves howl to communicate with each other. Your dog might howl at the sound of a passing fire truck, which also makes a noise with its siren that you can call a howl. Before the 1400s, the word was houlen, a word that probably emerged as an imitation of the way a howl sounds.
Vocabulary lists containing howl
Instead of "Said": Words For Sad Speech
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 8
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Yelping and Yowling: Synonyms for "Cry"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"It's okay to jump up and down and howl at the moon," he added.
From Barron's ● Apr. 11, 2026
Hanson let out a gleeful howl when he found one rising 2 feet above his head, representing 2 feet of growth every year since the KNP Complex fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
There is so much to shout and angst about - or might I say howl at the moon about.
From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2026
The following “RV Envy” adds the thwack of a full drum kit to the mix, and the staticky howl of the hurdy-gurdy is as hectic as a smashed window triggering a building’s alarm system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026
Wolf was so frightened that he wanted to howl.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Feelings bubbled up uncontrollably: inconsolable howls in infancy, classroom meltdowns in childhood, rages in adolescence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Loudspeakers at O-World, which has been closed to visitors since Neukgu's escape, have been blaring wolf howls and park announcements - the ones that Neukgu grew up listening to.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026
"I assume full responsibility for this defeat," an ashen-faced Jospin announced, bowing out of politics to howls of dismay from supporters.
From Barron's ● Mar. 23, 2026
It’s an instant classic, and Mr. Simpson sounds possessed as he howls about his need for love.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026
Amid the sounds of tortured wood were the howls and whines of the dogs.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
At a Halloween dog parade in the East Village, Poppy, Thrun’s Frenchie, lay in the sun dressed as a taco while the ancestral gray wolves howled in their graves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
By daybreak, the winds from Typhoon Fung-wong which had howled all night had died down, and people came out to see the damage.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2025
“What in the wide world of football are you doing?” he howled at a player.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2025
When Noah and I took the win, we howled.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2025
The family dogs they’d brought along for the pet store’s grand opening barked and yapped and howled.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
What Howrey delivers with “Body Language” is a novel that covers all that ground while keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, alternately howling with laughter, holding their breath awaiting resolution, and weeping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
We know that some of those mothers are still howling for help.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
A star-struck public was howling for his inclusion, blind to the weekly evidence that he was nowhere near the player he used to be.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Seven-foot waves tossed the boat in a howling gale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
His face was damp with perspiration, but he showed no sign of barking or howling or scratching.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
