howling

[hou-ling]

adjective

1. producing or uttering a howling noise.

   a howling mob.

2. desolate, dismal, or dreary.

   a howling wilderness.

3. Informal.,  very great; tremendous.

   a howling success.

howling

/ ˈhaʊlɪŋ /

adjective

1. informal,  (prenominal) (intensifier)

   a howling success

   a howling error

Other Word Forms

• howlingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of howling¹

1250–1300; Middle English houlinge (gerund); howl, -ing ²

Example Sentences

But the tornado was growing noisier and angrier as it blew in from the fields, and the siren was quickly lost to the howling winds.

Read more on Literature

“Did you hear that howling last night? It sounded like wolves?”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

More fundamentally, Democratic howling about premiums is an indictment of the system their party built.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In my little corner of Silver Lake, 7 p.m. commenced a daily cacophonous communal concert of pots and pans banging, trombones and trumpets blaring, dogs and coyotes howling: a grateful group roar.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The sound of howling sirens followed, and the lights in her flat started flickering.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• angry 
• bold 
• brutal 
• cutthroat 
• dangerous 
• ferocious 
• fiery 
• furious 
• intense 
• murderous 
• passionate 
• powerful 
• raging www.thesaurus.com
• relentless 
• savage 
• stormy 
• strong 
• terrible 
• vehement 
• vicious