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ululation

ululation

1 9.9
A long loud high sound people make to show strong feeling
  • noun
  • /ˌjuːləˈleɪʃən/
translation icon : ululación
  • 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

  • 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.

  • The mourners expressed their grief through loud, sorrowful ululation during the funeral service.

  • At the festival, women performed traditional ululation, adding to the vibrant atmosphere of the celebration.

Synonyms

cry
vsululation
142 1.0

A loud call that an animal or person makes

is more specific, long, high pitched, and culturally used
screaming
vsululation
92 1.9

A very loud high, piercing noise that hurts the ears

is like this but sustained and used in celebrations or mourning
wail
vsululation
54 3.2

A long loud cry that shows pain or deep sadness

is more high pitched and commonly used in cultural ceremonies
howling
vsululation
47 4.1

A long loud cry that shows strong feeling

is similar but more high pitched and ritually used
howl
vsululation
43 1.7

A long loud cry or laugh that shows strong feeling

is human, higher pitched, and used in social rituals
shrieking
vsululation
15 3.0

A loud, very high sound like a scream made by a person or animal

is like this but longer and used in ceremonial contexts
exclamation
vsululation
12 3.4

A loud cry that shows sudden strong feeling like surprise or pain

is different by being sustained, high pitched, and ceremonial
wailing
vsululation
5 3.5

Loud long cries made when someone feels deep pain or sadness

is similarly prolonged but more high pitched and used in rituals or celebrations

How Loud

shriek
43 2.7
to howl
48 2.6
ululation
1 9.9
wail
54 3.2
moan
  • NSFW
119 1.8
murmur
36 4.1

Surface Forms

ululation singular
ululations plural

Morphology

ululation = ululate (transparent) = ululate + ion

Formed by a regular nominalizing suffix '-ion' on the verb 'ululate', so the noun means 'the act or sound of ululating'.

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.