miao: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, onomatopoeic
Quick answer
What does “miao” mean?
The characteristic vocal sound made by a cat, especially to attract attention or express a need.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The characteristic vocal sound made by a cat, especially to attract attention or express a need.
Informally used to represent cat-like sounds in speech or writing; sometimes used humorously to refer to cats or cat-related content.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference. The representation of the sound is consistent, though associated humour or memes may vary culturally.
Connotations
Playful, affectionate, sometimes childish or silly. In digital contexts, often associated with 'cat culture'.
Frequency
Low frequency in formal contexts. Appears more often in informal writing, social media, comics, and children's materials.
Grammar
How to Use “miao” in a Sentence
[Subject] miaos[Subject] let out a miaoVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “miao” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The kitten miaowed plaintively at the door.
- I can hear a cat miaowing in the alley.
American English
- The cat meowed for its breakfast.
- Stop meowing and come inside!
adverb
British English
- N/A. Not standard usage.
American English
- N/A. Not standard usage.
adjective
British English
- He made a pathetic miaowing sound.
- The miao-ing kitten was soon rescued.
American English
- She ignored the constant meowing cat.
- A meowing sound echoed in the basement.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Only in specific contexts like linguistics (phonetics, onomatopoeia) or animal behaviour studies.
Everyday
Used when imitating a cat, talking to a cat, or referring to the sound in a narrative.
Technical
Used in veterinary or animal science contexts to describe vocalisation.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “miao”
- Using 'miao' as a countable noun without an article (e.g., 'I heard miao' vs 'I heard a miao').
- Overusing in formal writing.
- Misspelling as 'miaou', 'meaow'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Both are correct phonetic spellings. 'Meow' is more common in American English, while 'miaow' is often seen in British English. 'Miao' is a common variant.
Yes, but the standard verb forms are 'to meow' or 'to miaow'. 'The cat miaos' is understood but less common than 'the cat meows'.
No. It is informal and onomatopoeic. It is suitable for casual conversation, creative writing, or dialogue, but not for academic or formal business prose.
Yes, many languages have similar onomatopoeic words due to the nature of the sound, e.g., Russian 'мяу' (myau), Spanish 'miau', German 'miau', French 'miaou'.
The characteristic vocal sound made by a cat, especially to attract attention or express a need.
Miao: in British English it is pronounced /mjaʊ/, and in American English it is pronounced /mjaʊ/ or /miˈaʊ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “not enough room to swing a cat”
- “the cat's meow (US) / whiskers (UK) - meaning something excellent”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
The word looks like a cat's face: 'm' for ears, 'i' for nose, 'a' for mouth, 'o' for a round head.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOUND IS AN ENTITY (e.g., 'a miao came from the bushes').
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'miao' be LEAST appropriate?