meow

American  

[mee-ou, myou] / miˈaʊ, mjaʊ /

Sometimes miaou,

noun

meows plural

1. the characteristic sound a cat makes.

2. a spiteful or catty remark.

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verb (used without object)

meows, present (3rd person singular) meowed, past participle, past meowing present participle

1. to make the sound of a cat.

2. to make a spiteful or catty remark.

meow British  

/ mjaʊl, mjaʊ, mɪˈaʊl, mɪˈaʊ /

verb

1. (intr) (of a cat) to make a characteristic crying sound

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interjection

1. an imitation of this sound

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• meows
  plural

Participles

• meowing
  present
• meowed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• meow
  simple
• meows
  simple
• have meowed
  perfect
• has meowed
  perfect
• am meowing
  progressive
• are meowing
  progressive
• is meowing
  progressive
• have been meowing
  perfect progressive
• has been meowing
  perfect progressive

Past

• meowed
  simple
• had meowed
  perfect
• was meowing
  progressive
• were meowing
  progressive
• had been meowing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will meow
  simple
• will have meowed
  perfect
• will be meowing
  progressive
• will have been meowing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of meow

First recorded in 1870–75; imitative

Example Sentences

Together, these results highlight how domestication shaped the modern cat's voice, turning the meow into a flexible communication tool while leaving the purr as a steady marker of individuality.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

He would eat and then meow to leave.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2025

What is the meaning of a cat’s meow that grows louder and louder?

From New York Times • Feb. 29, 2024

Research has shown that cats meow primarily when in the presence of humans, suggesting that we can’t help but skew the app’s inputs, while some cats rarely vocalize at all.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2023

I went back to sleep, and this time when I awakened, I heard a meow.

From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor