yowler
LowInformal, sometimes humorous or derogatory
Definition
Meaning
A person or animal that yowls; one who makes a loud, prolonged, mournful cry or howl.
Can refer to someone who complains loudly or vociferously, often in a whining or grating manner.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily denotes a creature (often a cat) that makes a yowling sound. When applied to people, it carries a negative connotation of being a loud, annoying complainer.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Slightly more likely to be used in American English for a person who complains.
Connotations
In both varieties, when referring to an animal, it is descriptive. When referring to a person, it is pejorative.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [animal] is a yowler.He's such a yowler about [topic].That [cat] turned into a real yowler at night.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Midnight yowler (a cat that cries at night)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used. Potentially in informal contexts: 'Don't be the office yowler about the new policy.'
Academic
Not used.
Everyday
Used informally to describe a noisy cat or a person who complains loudly.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The tomcat will yowl all night.
- He started to yowl about the referee's decision.
American English
- That cat yowls every time it rains.
- She yowled in protest when her phone died.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Our cat is a yowler at night.
- The baby was a little yowler.
- The neighbour's dog is a real yowler when left alone.
- I can't sleep because of that yowler in the alley.
- He earned a reputation as the department yowler, always moaning about workload.
- The feral cat, a notorious midnight yowler, kept the whole street awake.
- Despite his yowling about fiscal responsibility, his own spending was profligate.
- The critic was dismissed as a mere yowler, lacking substantive arguments.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a cat that YOWLS at the moon. The one who does it is the YOWL-er.
Conceptual Metaphor
LOUD COMPLAINT IS ANIMAL NOISE
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation as 'воющий' (howling) for a person; it sounds unnatural. For a person, use 'нытик' (whiner) or 'крикун' (shouter) depending on context.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'yeller' instead of 'yowler' (a yeller shouts, a yowler makes a long, mournful cry).
- Using it in formal writing.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'yowler' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency word used mostly in informal contexts.
Yes, but it is informal and derogatory, meaning a person who complains loudly and annoyingly.
Both can mean one who makes a loud cry. 'Howler' is more general (e.g., a howler monkey, a hilarious mistake). 'Yowler' specifically suggests a prolonged, mournful, or grating cry, often associated with cats.
Yes, the verb is 'to yowl'. A 'yowler' is someone or something that yowls.