- present participle of howl.
howling
Americanadjective
-
producing or uttering a howling noise.
a howling mob.
-
desolate, dismal, or dreary.
a howling wilderness.
-
Informal. very great; tremendous.
a howling success.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of howling
1250–1300; Middle English houlinge (gerund); see howl, -ing 2
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.
Unverified images on social media show large plumes of smoke and flames rising into the sky in daytime, with air raid sirens howling in the background.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Caspian “C-Bird” Hollywell’s wide-eyed, frenetic energy and howling vocals come up against the sweet, mournful steel pedal guitar of suit-and-tie-wearing “Razor” Ramon Santos.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Videos he’s posted show them howling with laughter while dozens of fat fish jump all around them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
"To find wolf kills locally, ravens likely use short-range cues, like monitoring wolf behavior or listening to wolf howling," says Loretto.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 19, 2026
Then the next wave was under her and the wind was howling and hurtling her toward the smudge of Nim’s island—“Faster than a city train!”
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
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.
