caterwauling

/ˈkætəwɔːlɪŋ/ verb

**Caterwauling** is a shrill, wailing cry that sounds like a cat in heat or a dog whining at the moon. It refers to any loud, plaintive howl that pierces the air. Beyond literal animal noises, the word captures any noisy, discordant outburst that resembles a distress call. Use it for protests that rise in a cacophonous din, a crowd’s uproar that sounds more like a barnyard than a debate, or a speaker whose voice drags listeners into a collective wince. The term carries a hint of annoyance, suggesting the sound is both prolonged and unpleasant, perfect for describing raucous scenes that refuse to be ignored.

【核心含义】指发出尖锐刺耳的哀嚎声,类似猫叫春或狗对月长吠。

常形容抗议喧嚣、人群喧哗等令人不快的嘈杂声,强调声音持续恼人且难以忽视。避免用于形容有节奏的乐声或普通对话。

【Significado central】Grito o chillido agudo, prolongado y lastimero, parecido al aullido quejumbroso de un gato en celo o de un perro que gime a la luna.

Se aplica tanto a ruidos de animales como a cualquier sonido humano fuerte, discordante y molesto, como protestas que se convierten en un alboroto ensordecedor, el griterío de una multitud o una voz tan estridente que provoca incomodidad. (informal, con tono expresivo o literario) El término transmite molestia y duración; no sirve para describir un ruido breve o tolerable. Ejemplo: "Los alaridos del callejón no nos dejaron dormir en toda la noche."

Word Origin A delightfully onomatopoeic word: caterwauling is literally the wailing of cats, from Middle English cater 'cat' and waul 'to howl.' The 'cater' part is an old word for tomcat, related to modern cat. So when you hear that screeching sound of fighting felines, you're hearing caterwauling. It's a great example of English compounding animal sounds: catcall, catnap, and copycat all share the feline root.

verb present participle and gerund of caterwaul

The cats were caterwauling on the fence at midnight.

(动词) 发出刺耳声;尖声叫

午夜时分,几只猫在围墙上大声嚎叫。

(verbo) maullando; aullando; chillando [participio presente y gerundio de caterwaul]

Los gatos estaban maullando en la cerca a medianoche.

(verbe) miaulant; glapissant; poussant des cris stridents; hurlement [Participe présent et gérondif de caterwaul : pousser des miaulements forts et discordants, typiquement en parlant des chats.]

Les chats miaulaient bruyamment sur la clôture à minuit.

(Verb) katzenhaftes Jaulen; Katzengejammer; Katzenkonzert [**caterwauling** *Verb, Partizip Präsens/Gerundium*: Das laute, unangenehme Miauen oder Schreien von Katzen, besonders während der Paarungszeit oder bei Streitigkeiten.]

Die Katzen **caterwaulten** um Mitternacht auf dem Zaun und hielten die Nachbarn wach.

(動詞) 猫がうるさく甲高い声で鳴くこと(caterwaul の現在分詞・動名詞)。

真夜中に、猫たちが塀の上でやかましく泣き叫んでいた。

(verbo) miando alto; miar estridente; gritando (gato) [particípio presente e gerúndio de caterwaul (miar/ganir alto).]

Os gatos estavam miando alto na cerca à meia-noite.

Synonyms: wail howl screech yowl shriek Antonyms: whisper murmur
Word parts: cater + waul + ing

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