Definition

1. Verb:
   • To make a loud, harsh, and prolonged cry or howl, typically high-pitched and expressing distress, pain, or a mating call. This verb is most commonly associated with the vocalizations of cats, such as during fights or mating.

Usage

• Verb:
  • The word "waul" is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object. It describes the action of producing the sound itself.
  • It is used to describe the loud, often unpleasant cries of animals, especially felines. It can sometimes be applied to other animals or even humans to describe a similar type of wailing cry.
  • It is a less common, more literary synonym for "caterwaul."

Examples

• Verb:
  • The stray cats began to waul outside my window all night.
  • From the alley came the wauling of two tomcats fighting.

Advanced Usage

• "to waul and wail": This phrase emphasizes a combination of harsh, grating cries ("waul") and long, high-pitched lamentations ("wail"), intensifying the description of noisy distress.
  • The injured animal wauled and wailed until help arrived.

Variants and Related Words

• Caterwaul (verb/noun): A more common synonym for "waul," specifically meaning to make a shrill, discordant sound like that of cats. It can also be used as a noun for the sound itself.
  • The caterwauling from the rooftop kept the neighborhood awake.

Synonyms

• Howl: To make a long, loud, mournful cry, often associated with wolves or dogs, but can be used for similar sounds.
• Yowl: A long, distressful, or angry cry, especially of a cat.
• Bawl: To cry or wail loudly, often used for humans, especially children.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(This word does not commonly form phrasal verbs.)

Related Idioms

(This word is not typically used in common idioms.)

Verb

1. make high-pitched, whiney noises