howling
Americanadjective
-
producing or uttering a howling noise.
a howling mob.
-
desolate, dismal, or dreary.
a howling wilderness.
-
Informal. very great; tremendous.
a howling success.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of howling
1250–1300; Middle English houlinge (gerund); see howl, -ing 2
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.
Caspian “C-Bird” Hollywell’s wide-eyed, frenetic energy and howling vocals come up against the sweet, mournful steel pedal guitar of suit-and-tie-wearing “Razor” Ramon Santos.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
A 19th-Century Anglo-Indian journal derided the voices of boys playing women as "discordant", comparing them unfavourably to "howling jackals".
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
"To find wolf kills locally, ravens likely use short-range cues, like monitoring wolf behavior or listening to wolf howling," says Loretto.
From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026
“Did you hear that howling last night? It sounded like wolves?”
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025
It was then that a howling wind appeared, and though it was daylight outside, the ground around him was suddenly covered in darkness.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Definitions 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.
