bay at the moon
To make appeals in vain. Good luck talking to the principal, but I think you'll just be baying at the moon—I doubt you'll get a better grade. Didn't you come home after curfew last night? Yeah, you're baying at the moon if you think Mom's going to let you borrow the car again. Yeah, right, like they're gonna give you a raise after only a year on the job. You're baying at the moon, pal.
howl (one) down
To voice displeasure (as by booing) for a performer or performers to the extent that they decide to leave the stage. Are you sure you want to perform at that rowdy club? The crowd there is known to howl people down. The audience began to howl the singer down after he forgot the words to his song. I'm not surprised the crowd howled that washed-up old singer down—he was terrible!
howl at (someone or something)
1. Of an animal, to make a howling sound at someone or something. Oh geez, the dog's howling at a raccoon or something in the bushes. A: "The dog keeps howling at me like that." B: "OK, I can see why you're worried he's in pain." Oh boy, the stray cats are out there howling at each other again.
2. To laugh uproariously at someone or something. His opening monologue went really well—the audience howled at every joke. Oh my gosh, we were all howling at your uncle's hilarious stories. It makes me happy to hear my kids howl at the slapstick of The Three Stooges.
3. To yell at someone or something. Mom really howled at me when she found out that I got a D in biology this semester. The science teacher howled at us for not doing our homework. Aw man, if I'm late again, the boss is definitely going to howl at me about it.
howl in pain
To wail or yell because one is feeling pain. Sally twisted her ankle and fell to the ground, howling in pain. A: "Do you think the dog's howling in pain?" B: "Yeah, it's time to call the vet." Dad howled in pain after closing the door on his finger.
howl like a banshee
To scream, howl, or screech in a very loud, high-pitched, and unsettling manner. Some animal has been howling like a banshee in the alleyway all night long. Kids, stop howling like banshees back there! I need to focus on driving and I can barely hear myself think! A: "I am terrified of whatever is howling like a banshee out there." B: "Let's hope it's just a fox—they make some bizarre screeching noises."
howl out
1. To let out a loud cry, wail, or shout. The child began howling out in pain after the doctor gave him the tetanus shot. The sound of the mob of protestors howling out in anger echoed through the streets of the city. Dad howled out in pain after closing the door on his finger.
2. To utter or express something in a long, intense cry or shout. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "howl" and "out." Tom howled out his despair after he came home to find that his wife had left him. The crowd howled their frustrations out after the referee awarded the point to the opposing team. The audience began to howl out boos after the singer forgot the words to his song.
howl with (something)
To emphatically respond to some stimulus in a particular manner (named after "with"). His opening monologue must have gone really well—we could hear the audience howling with laughter. Sally twisted her ankle and fell to the ground, howling with pain. The sound of the mob of protestors howling with anger echoed through the streets of the city.
howl with laughter
To laugh uproariously. His opening monologue must have gone really well—we could hear the audience howling with laughter. Oh my gosh, we were all howling with laughter at your uncle's hilarious stories. It makes me happy to hear my kids howl with laughter at the slapstick of The Three Stooges.
howl with pain
To wail or yell because one is feeling pain. Sally twisted her ankle and fell to the ground, howling with pain. The child began howling with pain after the doctor gave him the tetanus shot. Dad howled with pain after closing the door on his finger.
it's the hit dog that howls
proverb Someone indicates their true feelings when they react very angrily or defensively to something. A: "Shut up, I do not like Dungeons and Dragons! I'm no nerd!" B: "Haha, chill out, dude. It's not that big a deal." C: "Seriously, man. It's the hit dog that howls, you know."
let out (some sound)
To utter some loud, forceful sound. I let out a shriek when the dog suddenly jumped on me. The lion let out an intimidating roar.
who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl
proverb If one spends time with bad people, one will eventually become like them or suffer a similarly bad fate. I worry about my brother hanging out with all those troublemakers—who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl, you know?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
howl at someone or something
1. Lit. [for a canine] to bay at someone or something. The dog howls at me when I play the trumpet. The wolves howled at the moon and created a terrible uproar.
2. and hoot at someone or something Fig. to yell out at someone or something. The audience howled at the actors and upset them greatly. We hooted at the singer until he stopped.
3. Fig. to laugh very hard at someone or something. Everyone just howled at Tom's joke. I howled at the story Alice told.
howl someone down
and hoot someone downFig. to yell at or boo someone's performance; to force someone to stop talking by yelling or booing. The audience howled the inept magician down. They howled down the musician.
howl with something
to yell or holler because of something, such as pain. Roger howled with pain as the needle went into his arm. Mary howled with grief when she saw what had happened to her roses.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.