To make a harsh, shrill, discordant cry or noise, often a wailing or howling sound. It typically describes a prolonged, unpleasant sound, often associated with cats in heat, but can be used more broadly to describe any similar cacophony. The sound is often characterized by its strident quality and potential to be disruptive or unsettling. The term implies a lack of harmony and pleasantness in the sound produced. Caterwauling can stem from pain, distress, or simply from vocal displays, whether from humans or animals. It often indicates some level of emotional intensity. The sound produced suggests a struggle, either literal or metaphorical.
Caterwauled meaning with examples
- The alley cat, its fur bristling in the dim streetlight, caterwauled incessantly throughout the night, disrupting the neighbors' sleep with its desperate cries for attention. The sound was grating and primal, a stark reminder of the raw emotions lurking beneath the surface of the quiet neighborhood. Its mournful wails echoed through the silent streets.
- During the thunderstorm, the wind caterwauled through the cracks in the old windows, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. The sound, akin to a banshee's wail, seemed to amplify the storm's intensity. The dilapidated house rattled in response to the wind's fury which sounded like it was screaming in protest.
- The young child, separated from his mother in the bustling supermarket, began to **caterwaul**, his cries escalating into a desperate and piercing wail. His frantic shriek cut through the ambient chatter, drawing immediate attention from nearby shoppers and staff, the raw emotion clear in his every anguished sound.
- As the opera singer reached the climactic high note, her voice caterwauled, stretching the limits of her vocal control, and a sharp, slightly unpleasant vibrato emanated from her, both exciting and alarming the audience. Though technically skillful, the sound was, in its power, closer to a scream.
Caterwauled Crossword Answers
6 Letters
MEOWED YOWLED