ululation
- noun
- /ˌjuːləˈleɪʃən/
- As they rounded the tent the third time to the open doorway, they acknowledged the departure of the Old Woman with high-pitched trills and ululations, and the leader came to a stop and tossed her knife into the sand.
Examples
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And ululation seems unlikely for a goat.
Fiction book (2001) -
As he sat there, Boge remembered proudly that it had only been after his name was called out that a woman's vibrant voice had filled the formal afternoon air with a prolonged ululation that had put the power of the microphone to shame.
Fiction book (1991) -
Each one was greeted with a loud ululation led by the oldest group of women present.
Academic text (1998) -
Through the Force rippled an ululation of indescribable anguish.
Fiction book (1994) -
In fact, I wouldn't be certain that it had happened at all, were it not for the subsequent and huge emptiness of the bridge, the distant ululation of a siren, and my residual thoughts on the matter, which I have tried to put down here.
Fiction book (1999) -
An ululation arose from her throat, and she skittered through the bobbing tree limbs, chasing the last few holdouts back to the area of sticky branches.
Fiction book (1997) -
He describes their ululations as "orange with lavender streaks"; the groundshaking crash as another famished buffalo hits the forest floor as "battleship grey."
Fiction book (1999) -
During the wedding ceremony, the crowd broke into ululation, celebrating the joyous occasion.
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The mourners expressed their grief through loud, sorrowful ululation during the funeral service.
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At the festival, women performed traditional ululation, adding to the vibrant atmosphere of the celebration.
Synonyms
A loud call that an animal or person makes
A very loud high, piercing noise that hurts the ears
A long loud cry that shows pain or deep sadness
A long loud cry that shows strong feeling
A long loud cry or laugh that shows strong feeling
A loud, very high sound like a scream made by a person or animal
A loud cry that shows sudden strong feeling like surprise or pain
Loud long cries made when someone feels deep pain or sadness
How Loud
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Ululation comes from the Latin verb ululare, which means 'to howl'. Think of a long, high cry like a wolf's howl or a loud wail at a funeral or a joyful shout at a wedding, and you can see why ululation means a long, loud, high-pitched cry that shows strong feeling.