Meanings
nounhowl (plural howls)
plural howls
- The protracted, mournful cry of a dog, wolf or other canid; also of other animals.
Dan was beginning to feel very depressed when suddenly the eerie howl of a dingo rang out[.]
1943, H. Lorna Bingham, The Lost Tribe, Sydney: Winn and Co., page 13, column 22 more examples
[T]he fox was out on love-adventures, abused his rivals, and uttered scoffing screams and howls.
1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 117All at once the cat thrust her paw inside the ring again, but the tailor was quick as lightning and chopped the paw off. The cats set up a terrible howl, and away they rushed through the door as fast as they could.
1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 159 - Any similar sound.
The howl of the wind
verbhowl (third-person singular simple present howls, present participle howling, simple past and past participle howled)
present singular third person howls · participle present howling · participle past howled · past howled
- To utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do.
Methought a legion of foul fiends / Environ'd me about, and howled in my ears.
c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]1 more example
VVhen ominus ſignes to ſhew themſelues began, / That novv at hand this monſtrous birth fore-ran: / About at noone flew the affrighted Ovvle, / And dogs in corners ſet them dovvne to hovvle: […]
1627, Michaell [i.e., Michael] Drayton, “[Elegies upon Sundry Occasions.]”, in The Battaile of Agincourt. […], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for William Lee, […], →OCLC, page 223 - To make a noise resembling the cry of a wild beast.
They howled with laughter at the prank.
1 more example
Wild howl'd the wind the forest glades along, / And oft the owl renew'd her dismal song; […]
1809, Walter Scott, “[Fragments, […].] The Poacher”, in The Poetical Works of Walter Scott, Esq. […], volume XI, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Company] for Arch[ibald] Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown; and John Murray, published 1820, →OCLC, page 180 - To utter with outcry.
to howl derision
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo utter a sound expressive of pain or distress; to cry aloud and mournfully; to lament; to wail.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*kū-
- Proto-Germanic*hūwilōną
- Proto-West Germanic*hūilōn
- Old English*hūlian
- Middle Englishhowlen
- Englishhowl
From Middle English howlen, houlen, from Old English *hūlian, from Proto-West Germanic *hūilōn, from Proto-Germanic *hūwilōną, *hiuwilōną (“to howl”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *kū-, *kew- (“to howl, scream”). Likely of imitative origin. Cognate with Saterland Frisian huulje (“to howl”), Dutch huilen (“to cry”), Romanian a hăuli (“to howl”), Old French ouler, German Low German hulen (“to howl”), German heulen (“to howl”), Danish hyle (“to howl”), Swedish yla (“to scream, yell”), Northern Luri آلٛیر (āłir, “howl”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὀλολύζω, ὀλολύζω
- ὀλολύζω (ololúzō)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- ὀλολύζω (ololúzō)to utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
Arabic عُوَاء, عَوَى
- عُوَاء (ʕuwāʔ)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- عَوَى (ʕawā)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- أَنَّ (ʔanna)to utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
Bulgarian вой, рев
- вой (voj)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- рев (rev)prolonged cry of distress or anguish
- ви́я (víja)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- стена (stena)to utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- рева (reva)to utter with outcry
Catalan udol, udol
- udolprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- udolprolonged cry of distress or anguish
- udolarto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- udolarto utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- udolarto utter with outcry
Chinese Mandarin 吼
- 吼 (hǒu)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Czech vytí, zavytí
- vytíprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- zavytíprolonged cry of distress or anguish
- výtto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- výtto utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- skučetto utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- kvíletto utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
Danish hyl
- hylprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
Dutch gehuil, gebrul
- gehuilprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- gebrulprolonged cry of distress or anguish
- gehuilprolonged cry of distress or anguish
- gejammerprolonged cry of distress or anguish
- huilento utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- jammerento utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- uitroepento utter with outcry
- uitschreeuwento utter with outcry
Esperanto hurlo, hurlo
- hurloprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- hurloprolonged cry of distress or anguish
- hurlito utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Finnish ulvonta, ulvonta
- ulvontaprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- ulvontaprolonged cry of distress or anguish
- ulvoato utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- ulvoato utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- ulvoato utter with outcry
French hurlement, hurler
- hurlementprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- hurlerto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
German Heulen, heulen
- Heulenprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- heulento utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- jaulento utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Greek ούρλιασμα, ούρλιασμα
- ούρλιασμα (oúrliasma)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- ούρλιασμα (oúrliasma)prolonged cry of distress or anguish
- ουρλιάζω (ourliázo)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- ουρλιάζω (ourliázo)to utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
Hebrew יְלָלָה
- יְלָלָה (y'lalá)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
Hungarian vonyítás, üvöltés
- vonyításprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- üvöltésprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
Icelandic ýlfra
- ýlfrato utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Indonesian lolong
- lolongprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
Italian ululato, uggiolio
- ululatoprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- uggiolioprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- latratoprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- guaitoprolonged cry of distress or anguish
- ululareto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- gannireto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Japanese 遠吠え, 叫び声
- 遠吠え (tōboe)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- 叫び声 (sakebi-goe)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- 嘆き (nageki)prolonged cry of distress or anguish
- 絶叫 (zekkyō)prolonged cry of distress or anguish
- 遠吠えする (tōboe suru)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- 吠える (hoeru)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- 叫ぶ (sakebu)to utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- 絶叫する (zekkyō-suru)to utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- 叫ぶ (sakebu)to utter with outcry
Korean 울음, 울부짖음
- 울음 (ureum)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- 울부짖음 (ulbujijeum)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- 우짖음 (ujijeum)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- 울부짖음 (ulbujijeum)prolonged cry of distress or anguish
- 울다 (ulda)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- 울부짖다 (ulbujitda)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- 우짖다 (ujitda)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- 울부짖다 (ulbujitda)to utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- 외치다 (oechida)to utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- 외치다 (oechida)to utter with outcry
Latin ululō, ululō
- ululōto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- ululōto utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- ululoto utter with outcry
Lithuanian kaukti
- kauktito utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Māori ngawī, ngawē
- ngawīprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- ngawēprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- paroroprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- whakapūto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- whakaparoroto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- ngawīto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- whakapuoroto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- whakapūto utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- tarawēto utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
Norwegian hyle
- hyleto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Polish wycie, wyć
- wycieprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- wyćto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Portuguese uivo, uivar
- uivoprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- uivarto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Romanian urla, rage
- urlato utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- rageto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Russian вой, вытьё
- вой (voj)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- вытьё (vytʹjó)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- вопль (voplʹ)prolonged cry of distress or anguish
- рёв (rjov)prolonged cry of distress or anguish
- вой (voj)prolonged cry of distress or anguish
- выть (vytʹ)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- завыва́ть (zavyvátʹ)to utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- выть (vytʹ)to utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
- реве́ть (revétʹ)to utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
Scottish Gaelic sgal, sgal
- sgalprolonged cry of distress or anguish
- sgalto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- sgalto utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
Slovak vyť
- vyťto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Spanish aullido, alarido
- aullidoprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- alaridoprolonged cry of distress or anguish
- berridoprolonged cry of distress or anguish
- aullarto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- guarrearto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- otilarto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- gañirto utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
Swedish ylande, yla
- ylandeprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- ylato utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Tagalog alulong, umalulong
- alulongprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- umalulongto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Tamil ஊளை, ஊளை
- ஊளை (ūḷai)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- ஊளை (ūḷai)prolonged cry of distress or anguish
- ஒப்பாரி (oppāri)prolonged cry of distress or anguish
Thai หอน
- หอน (hɔ̌ɔn)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Turkish uluma, inilti
- ulumaprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- iniltiprotracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- ulumakto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- inlemekto utter a sound expressive of pain or distress
Ukrainian вий, ви́ти
- вий (vyj)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- ви́ти (výty)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Vietnamese hú, tru
- húto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- truto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Welsh udo
- udoto utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Yiddish הויל, בילן
- הויל (hoyl)protracted, mournful cry of a dog or a wolf
- בילן (biln)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- הויל (hoyl)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
- הוילן (hoyln)to utter a loud, protracted, mournful sound or cry, as dogs and wolves often do
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with howl
Powellfoulowltowelbowelvowelfowlgrowlcowlprowljouleafoulaulscowljowldisembowelyowlbefoulcawlcheek by jowldefouldisemvoweldowleembowel
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
howl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/howl
MLA
“howl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/howl. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “howl,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/howl.
Source: howl on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.