Showing results for "bawling"

• present participle of bawl.

bawling

American  

[baw-ling] / ˈbɔ lɪŋ /

adjective

1. crying or wailing lustily.

   On one of our trips we were kept awake most of the night by a bawling kid—and that kid was you!

   The mooing, bawling calf seemed to be an orphan.

2. shouting loudly, especially to be heard outdoors, over other noise, or by a large group.

   He’s doing his basic training under a bawling drill sergeant who screams orders at the recruits.

---

noun

1. the act of crying, wailing, or shouting.

   After recess I have to put up with the bawling of kids at each other across the classroom, still arguing about playtime disputes.

Etymology

Origin of bawling

First recorded in 1570–80; bawl ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; bawl ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

It was a powerful moment, and all around me even the men were bawling like a bridesmaid at her best friend’s wedding.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

Stripped of his invulnerability, Homelander wilts into a bawling wimp, begging for his life on his knees.

From Salon • May 24, 2026

“I just remember bawling all morning and just feeling so stressed,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

He added that after performing in front of the cast they were "bawling their eyes out".

From BBC • Oct. 22, 2025

“A bawling out would have been better,” he said.

From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely