as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
like many kids during summer vacation, they were caterwauling about the lack of things to do
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as in yowl
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Recent Examples of caterwaul
Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2023
An ambulance caterwauled down Sunset Boulevard, which runs parallel one block below.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022
Until Ivey and the Department of Corrections can explain how the prison construction program caterwauled out of control, lawmakers should put the brakes on all state spending.
—Kyle Whitmire, al, 17 Mar. 2023
Republicans could caterwaul about the skyrocketing debt without actually having to do anything about it except express their disapproval. Getting most creative.
—Zachary B. Wolf, CNN, 29 Sep. 2021
In a season of a lively baseball, the Twins hit a silly number of home runs and came caterwauling out of the great north and took their division.
—Michael Powell, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2019
The media–Democrat caterwauling over Trump’s election-rigging spiel was not rooted in patriotic commitment to the American democratic tradition of accepting election outcomes.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 16 Aug. 2019
Media outlets that caterwaul about all this become the victims of commercial crises.
—The Economist, 21 June 2018
This lets Congress caterwaul on behalf of special interests while blaming Presidents for not punishing foreigners.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 7 June 2018
Verb
That said, Shelton’s lyrics are much more darkly relatable and heartbreaking than someone caterwauling about being their own worst enemy.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2023
An ambulance caterwauled down Sunset Boulevard, which runs parallel one block below.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022
Until Ivey and the Department of Corrections can explain how the prison construction program caterwauled out of control, lawmakers should put the brakes on all state spending.
—Kyle Whitmire, al, 17 Mar. 2023
Republicans could caterwaul about the skyrocketing debt without actually having to do anything about it except express their disapproval. Getting most creative.
—Zachary B. Wolf, CNN, 29 Sep. 2021
In a season of a lively baseball, the Twins hit a silly number of home runs and came caterwauling out of the great north and took their division.
—Michael Powell, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2019
The media–Democrat caterwauling over Trump’s election-rigging spiel was not rooted in patriotic commitment to the American democratic tradition of accepting election outcomes.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 16 Aug. 2019
Media outlets that caterwaul about all this become the victims of commercial crises.
—The Economist, 21 June 2018
This lets Congress caterwaul on behalf of special interests while blaming Presidents for not punishing foreigners.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 7 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caterwaul
Verb
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Palestinians complain of ill-treatment In exchange for the hostages' release, Israel is freeing 183 Palestinian prisoners, some convicted of involvement in attacks that killed dozens of people, as well as 111 detained in Gaza during the war.—
Hussam al-Masri,
USA TODAY,
10 Feb. 2025
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Many conspiracy theorists have complained about Black history being relegated to the calendar’s shortest month.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Yes, that would be Post Malone, who convincingly simulated Kurt Cobain’s phlegmy yowls, rocking the mic as Dave Grohl, Pat Smear and Krist Novoselic thrashed and crashed around him.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
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As a shape-shifting rock poet — a prophet with a nasal yowl — Dylan and his opaque words were particularly attractive for theorists of the literary, musical and conspiratorial varieties.—
Corey Kilgannon,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
There was the monotony, euphoria, and bemusement of performing the same show to 60,000 screaming fans night after night.—
Federico Fahsbender,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2025
-
In San Diego this incited Beatlemania-volume screaming.—
Abby Aguirre,
Vogue,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The jungle struck up its evening symphony: the sweet chittering of insects, the distant bellowing of monkeys, the occasional screech of a kite.—
Charlie Cordero,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2025
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But as the race against former President Trump screeches into its final week, joy has taken the back seat.—
David Lauter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Now even Sean McDermott, coach of the Bills team that lost to the Chiefs last Sunday in the AFC championship games, is running with the crowd and whining that a team having the kind of extraordinary run the Chiefs are having doesn’t get here without the refs.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2025
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Walter Lippmann in Public Opinion whines about this.—
Sean Illing,
Vox,
1 Feb. 2025
Verb
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There was so much pre- match negativity and expecting Arsenal to turn us over and moaning about the transfer window as if the club didn’t want to buy players.—
Chris Waugh,
The Athletic,
6 Feb. 2025
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First, a woman near the forge will be moaning about the blacksmith.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Republican conference is rife with sticking points as budget hawks squawk and some House Republicans insist on increasing the state and local tax deduction.—
Taylor Giorno,
The Hill,
30 Dec. 2024
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There’s no dialogue, at least none decipherable to human ears — everything is a symphony of meows, woofs, squawks, grunts, squeaks, squeals and simian cries.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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At first a distant roar, everyone’s screams were drowned out by the first of the top rally cars tearing past.—
Raphael Orlove,
Robb Report,
6 Feb. 2025
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From the first Super Bowl in 1970 to the record-breaking roars of today, these images tell the story of a fanbase whose devotion has only grown stronger.—
Monty Davis,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near caterwaul
Cite this Entry
“Caterwaul.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caterwaul. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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