English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
noun Uncommon

howling

HOW-lihng

Howling (noun) means the act or sound of howling. Example: “The howling of the wind kept us awake all night.”

noun
1
The act or sound of howling.
"The howling of the wind kept us awake all night."
adj
1
That howls, or resembles a howl.
"A howling gale battered the coast."
2
(informal) Used to intensify something extreme, especially a mistake or success.
"That was a howling error on the referee's part."
"The film was a howling success."

How to Use Howling

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDescribes something that howls (like wind), or is used loosely to mean "extreme" or "glaring."

Common pairings
howling wind howling gale howling success howling error

Word Forms

howlings plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “howling” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The _____ of the wind kept us awake all night.

Etymology

From howl + the suffix -ing.

howl ululation

Related Words

Rhymes for howling

See all rhymes for howling →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “howling” mean?

The word “howling” means the act or sound of howling. In plain terms, describes something that howls (like wind), or is used loosely to mean "extreme" or "glaring.".

How do you pronounce “howling”?

“Howling” is pronounced HOW-lihng (/ˈhaʊlɪŋ/ in IPA).

How do you use “howling” in a sentence?

Here is “howling” used in a sentence: “The howling of the wind kept us awake all night.”

What part of speech is “howling”?

Depending on how it is used, “howling” can be a noun and an adjective.

Is “howling” a common word?

“Howling” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “howling” have?

“Howling” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the act or sound of howling.

People Also Searched

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial