If a person or an animal yowls, they make a long loud cry, especially because they are sad or in pain. The dog began to yowl. Yowl is also a noun. Patsy could hardly be heard above the baby's yowls. + yowling yowl·ing I couldn't stand that yowling. A long loud mournful cry; a wail. if an animal or a person yowls, they make a long loud cry, especially because they are unhappy or in pain = howl (Probably from the sound)