ululate

American  

[uhl-yuh-leyt, yool-] / ˈʌl yəˌleɪt, ˈyul- /

verb (used without object)

ululated, ululating

1. to howl, as a coyote or wolf, or to hoot, as an owl.

2. to utter a loud, long, high-pitched, trilling sound that resembles a howl, especially to express grief or joy.

   the Middle Eastern custom of ululating at weddings and funerals.

3. to lament loudly and shrilly.

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ululate British  

/ ˈjuːljʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to howl or wail, as with grief

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Other Word Forms

• ululant adjective
• ululation noun

Etymology

Origin of ululate

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin ululātus, past participle of ululāre “to howl, shriek,” of imitative origin; akin to Greek hylân, ololýzein “to howl, wail,” Sanskrit ululí- “howling”; -ate ¹

Example Sentences

When women’s voices ululate, they do so, in different regions of the world, to celebrate, to mourn, to pray, to warn, to seduce.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 26, 2020

The horseman howl and ululate in triumph while the Unsullied bang their spears on the ground in unison.

From Salon • May 20, 2019

At that point, as though suddenly realizing that there were dramatic circumstances at hand, the local jamming installations swung into action, commencing to howl and ululate with a doubled fury.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 17, 2014

The man who married Trotsky's secretary made his most interesting and rebellious characters girls: the piratical sisters, the Amazons, who "rattle our sabres to frighten the neighbours", ululate ferociously beneath their bonnets rouges.

From The Guardian • Dec. 19, 2010

A handful of women ululate as the proceedings begin.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri