ululation
1
9.9
- 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.
-
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
157
1.0
A loud call that an animal or person makes
130
1.9
A very loud high, piercing noise that hurts the ears
25
1.7
A long loud cry or laugh that shows strong feeling
19
3.2
A long loud cry that shows pain or deep sadness
12
3.0
A loud, very high sound like a scream made by a person or animal
11
3.5
Loud long cries made when someone feels deep pain or sadness
11
4.1
A long loud cry that shows strong feeling
4
3.4
A loud cry that shows sudden strong feeling like surprise or pain
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.