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
-
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:
That message — a howl of righteous anger at state corruption and the perversion of religion to serve the nefarious agendas of cruel, power-mad men — is what makes “The Devils” sacrilegious yet not apostate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Cosmo itched so much from allergies that he constantly scratched himself raw and unleashed a howl when we were gone for too long, so loud and haunting that my neighbor thought it was a siren.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"It is a howl of pain," said one minister, reflecting that so many people in the Labour Party this weekend are hurting.
From BBC ● May 9, 2026
"It's okay to jump up and down and howl at the moon," he added.
From Barron's ● Apr. 11, 2026
It was raining now, and somewhere in the distance, coyotes had begun to howl.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
Predictably, Auburn’s faculty has responded with howls of outrage, decrying these intrusions on the faculty’s authority over academic operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
In the summer, the temperature is always above 100; in the winter, the wind howls and shakes our townhouse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 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
The wind howls around me and I realize how strange this place is with all these little houses, and on most days, I barely see any people.
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
Pub owners, lawmakers, travel writers and travel drinkers all howled in protest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
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
With howled, deadpan lyrics like on “Join in the Chant,” McCarthy set a template for how punk’s urgency could lock into dance music’s meticulousness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2025
Smoke was heavy, she said, and the air howled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2025
They howled, and howled, and howled again, long and loud and mournful, as if the sky were made of nothing but full moons.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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
Muharemović hit the pitch, howling in pain, and was treated on the field.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Aesthetes had been howling about the Freedom 250 set, a soaring, 92-foot tall structure which resembled one of those arcade machine claws in which you try and fail to grab a stuffed hippopotamus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Cedar knew the safe path across, so we were able to make a clean getaway while Scorpion and the others got stuck there, howling in pain.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
