meow
Americannoun
-
meows
plural
-
the characteristic sound a cat makes.
-
a spiteful or catty remark.
verb (used without object)
-
meows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
meowed,
past participle, past
-
meowing
present participle
-
to make the sound of a cat.
-
to make a spiteful or catty remark.
verb
interjection
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
meowsimple
-
meowssimple
-
have meowedperfect
-
has meowedperfect
-
am meowingprogressive
-
are meowingprogressive
-
is meowingprogressive
-
have been meowingperfect progressive
-
has been meowingperfect progressive
Past
-
meowedsimple
-
had meowedperfect
-
was meowingprogressive
-
were meowingprogressive
-
had been meowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of meow
First recorded in 1870–75; imitative
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:
Vitale points to research out of a Swedish university that looked at the melody and tone of the meow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
The meow, in short, is meant for us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
A domestic cat's purr reveals much more about its individual identity than its meow.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026
They examined vocalizations from both domestic and wild cats and found that domestication has especially increased how much a cat's meow can vary.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026
I went back to sleep, and this time when I awakened, I heard a meow.
From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor
Other research has advanced Nicastro’s work, including studies that paired a cat’s meows directly with their caretaker instead of random participants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
To better understand how evolution shaped these sounds, the researchers compared domestic cat meows with those of five wild cat species: African wildcat, European wildcat, jungle cat, cheetah, and cougar.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026
While both meows and purrs contained individual traits, purrs were far more reliable.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026
Other books showed a warmer, more playful side, such as in “Bark, George,” about a dog that meows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2025
A cat meows on the other side of the door.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
As they worked, the kitten, caught by her neck, meowed and tried to use her back paws to push the cabinet away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Upon seeing me, Momo meowed and then purred.
From New York Times ● Aug. 29, 2022
“I thought I heard a meow, and I thought my mind’s playing tricks on me so I hollered his name out, and he meowed again,” Gibson said.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2021
Ellis noticed that the cat meowed in twos, and the “MADtv” sketch came to mind, so the name stuck.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 14, 2021
She meowed out goodbyes to her brothers and sisters as we crossed the yard.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
“One of the biggest takeaways from scientific research is that meowing seems in many ways to be specialized for communication with humans,” says Jay Schwartz, an associate professor of psychological science at Western Oregon University.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
In the more upmarket north of Tehran, many residents appeared to have left, with the meowing of cats and birdsong replacing the usual din of traffic jams.
From Barron's ● Mar. 3, 2026
"People pay most attention to meowing because cats mainly use these vocalizations toward us," explains the study's first author, Danilo Russo.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026
A cat meowing for Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Peyton Manning chucking Bud Light beers to patrons in a bar and Kris Jenner stacking Oreo cookies.
From New York Times ● Feb. 6, 2024
I heard it land with a thud, saw it moments later, wobbling out from under the shadow of the house, meowing and stumbling forward.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
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