howler: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1informal
Quick answer
What does “howler” mean?
A very stupid or obvious mistake, especially one that causes amusement.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A very stupid or obvious mistake, especially one that causes amusement.
1. A monkey known for its loud howling cry. 2. A person or thing that howls.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The 'mistake' sense is common in both varieties, but more established and slightly more frequent in BrE. The 'monkey' sense is zoological.
Connotations
Equally informal and humorous in both. Often used in educational/journalistic contexts to critique errors.
Frequency
Low frequency, but well-understood by educated speakers in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “howler” in a Sentence
make/commit + DET + howlerDET + howler + of + a + mistakeVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “howler” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The secretary's howler in the minutes had us all in stitches.
- We heard the distant cry of a howler in the jungle.
American English
- The journalist's howler about the state capitals went viral.
- The zoo's new howler monkey is the main attraction.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; might be used humorously in post-mortems: 'The marketing report contained a howler, confusing our two key markets.'
Academic
Used in critiques of published work or student essays: 'The historical timeline in the thesis had a glaring howler.'
Everyday
Common for describing silly mistakes in conversation, news, or sports: 'The goalkeeper's howler cost them the match.'
Technical
The primary technical use is zoological, referring to New World monkeys of the genus Alouatta.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “howler”
- Confusing 'howler' (mistake) with 'howl' (the verb).
- Using it for minor, inconsequential errors rather than obvious, foolish ones.
- Overusing in formal writing.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is informal. While understood in many contexts, it carries a humorous or critical tone and is best replaced with 'blunder' or 'serious error' in very formal writing.
No, it specifically refers to a mistake that is obvious, foolish, and often amusing to others. A subtle miscalculation or a typo would not typically be called a howler.
There is no direct semantic connection. They are homographs (same spelling, different meaning). The 'mistake' sense likely evolved from the idea of a 'howling' (i.e., blatantly obvious) error.
It is used in both, but some dictionaries note it is slightly more common in British English. The informal synonym 'clanger' is almost exclusively British.
A very stupid or obvious mistake, especially one that causes amusement.
Howler: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhaʊlə(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhaʊlər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a howler of a mistake”
- “drop a howler”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a student HOWLING in embarrassment after seeing their obvious mistake on the test—a HOWLER.
Conceptual Metaphor
MISTAKES ARE NOISY ANIMALS / A MISTAKE IS A BEAST (loud, obvious, embarrassing).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'howler' LEAST likely to be used?