yowl
Americanverb (used without object)
-
yowls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
yowled,
past participle, past
-
yowling
present participle
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
yowlsimple
-
yowlssimple
-
have yowledperfect
-
has yowledperfect
-
am yowlingprogressive
-
are yowlingprogressive
-
is yowlingprogressive
-
have been yowlingperfect progressive
-
has been yowlingperfect progressive
Past
-
yowledsimple
-
had yowledperfect
-
was yowlingprogressive
-
were yowlingprogressive
-
had been yowlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of yowl
1175–1225; Middle English yuhele, yule, youle, apparently from a cry of pain or distress yuhele; compare Old English geoh- (in geohthu grief )
Explanation
A yowl is a loud cry or howl, especially one that an animal makes. If you accidentally step on your cat's tail, you'll probably hear her yowl. Poor kitty. Use this imitative word as a noun or a verb, any time you're describing a wild cry of distress. Your new puppy may yowl all night long the first couple of times you make him sleep in a crate at the foot of your bed — and if his yowling goes on too long, you may find yourself starting to yowl along with him.
Vocabulary lists containing yowl
Into the Wild
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Yelping and Yowling: Synonyms for "Cry"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Louisiana’s Way Home
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
But they had connected him to a current of fury, and the urge to yowl for justice or revenge flooded his throat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2025
The cathartic yowl at the start of his debut solo single, “Crazy Train,” was telling: “All aboooooardd!”
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2025
“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose,” Joplin sang in her signature blues-rock yowl — perhaps the best-known piece of wisdom in Kristofferson’s very wise catalog.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2024
To communicate, they grunt and yowl and gesture with a serio-comic zeal that earned my reluctant admiration.
From New York Times ● Apr. 11, 2024
I heard him yowl, heard his toes clip-clopping on the floor as he struggled to break free before the door slammed behind me.
From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman
He had heard a tip from some former clients that the mournful yowls of lynx had been heard overnight near the public viewing area, so we reinstalled ourselves nearby on his secret mountain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
Other breeds like Pomeranians and Chihuahuas are equally vocal, albeit with yips and yowls rather than bellowing howls.
From Salon ● Feb. 3, 2023
Robotnik, who also goes by the name Eggman, eggs them on with gleeful yowls.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 5, 2022
Actually, sometimes he yowls at 4AM because he doesn’t like eating alone, making us sit with him as he chows down on kibble.
From The Verge ● Dec. 24, 2021
Matthew drops his machete to the ground and puts an arm across his eyes as he snuffles and yowls and moans.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
John Wall skipped and yowled at the end of practice Saturday.
From Washington Times ● May 14, 2017
During the ride, Grenoble periodically yowled in pain and complained about the handcuffs, at one point saying he couldn’t feel his hands.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 17, 2015
She yowled like Courtney before Kurt — or Kurt before Courtney.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2014
Westerberg and Stinson yowled their vocals like stray cats, and Foley crisply, deftly negotiated the rhythmic turns on "Merry Go Round."
From Chicago Tribune ● Jul. 5, 2011
He spit and yowled and dared anyone to get close to him.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
A cat yowling and in the same spot for days didn’t seem right to her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2024
"It's three-tiered, with a nasal low register, a yowling, cutting middle range and a high register so startlingly clear it sounds like a falsetto," Pareles wrote in a 1987 concert review.
From Reuters ● May 24, 2023
Your cat, yowling pitifully, would vanish in a thick whorl of white papers.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 26, 2023
Directed by Boyle and written by Craig Pearce, it celebrates the punk spirit of authenticity and exudes love for the Pistols’ yowling chaos.
From New York Times ● May 30, 2022
At the same moment, the wolf cub stopped yowling and jerked round to face him.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
