# howling

Pronunciation: say "HOW-ling" /ˈhaʊlɪŋ/

## Adjective

1. Producing long, mournful cries, as a dog, a wolf, or the wind in a storm.
   - Simple: Making the long, loud cries that a dog or wolf makes.
   - _The howling pack circled the campsite as the fire died down._
   - _Sailors struggled against a howling gale off the coast._
3. Used to intensify another word, emphasizing how extreme or complete something is, as in a howling success. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Used before another word to mean very great, as in a huge success or failure.
   - _The festival was a howling triumph, drawing record crowds._
   - _The whole scheme collapsed into a howling disaster within weeks._
5. Causing such grief or pain that one feels like crying out; deeply distressing.
   - Simple: So sad or painful that it makes you want to cry out loud.
   - _The survivors endured a howling misery through the long winter._
   - _A howling sense of loss overwhelmed her at the funeral._

## Verb

2. Present participle and gerund of howl. — present participle and gerund of howl
   - Simple: Present participle of howl. Use this form for something happening right now.
   - _The wolves were howling at the edge of the camp._
   - _Howling into the storm, the sailors fought to be heard._

## Noun

4. The act of producing long, mournful cries.
   - Simple: The act of making long, loud cries like a dog or wolf.
   - _The howling of the wolves echoed across the frozen valley._
   - _We heard a faint howling drifting in from the hills._

## Origin

**Meaning 4** — From Middle English howlynge, formed from "howl" plus the gerund suffix "-ing".
**Meanings 1–3, 5** — From Middle English howlinge, formed from "howl" plus the present participle ending "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/howling (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).