verb / noun
bawl
BAWL/bɔːl/
A loud, forceful cry or shout, or the act of making one.
The woman bawls with her mouth wide open and tears streaming.
Etymology
Old Norse baula imitated a cow’s lowing; Latin baulare, “to bark,” may be an alternative or additional source. English first used bawl for dog-like howling, then extended it to loud human cries.
More examples
- The coach bawled instructions across the noisy field.
- A sudden bawl comes from the open doorway.
- He is bawling out the workers for leaving early.
Forms
bawl · bawls · bawled · bawling