bawling

American  

[baw-ling] / ˈbɔ lɪŋ /

adjective

1. crying or wailing lustily.

   On one of our trips we were kept awake most of the night by a bawling kid—and that kid was you!

   The mooing, bawling calf seemed to be an orphan.

2. shouting loudly, especially to be heard outdoors, over other noise, or by a large group.

   He’s doing his basic training under a bawling drill sergeant who screams orders at the recruits.

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noun

1. the act of crying, wailing, or shouting.

   After recess I have to put up with the bawling of kids at each other across the classroom, still arguing about playtime disputes.

Etymology

Origin of bawling

First recorded in 1570–80; bawl ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; bawl ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

Box of Kleenex at arm’s reach in case I started bawling.

From Literature

I'm sick of watching Tav lose it and start shouting and bawling at them all.

From BBC

“Then we started bawling together. I think that one might end up her favorite.”

From Los Angeles Times

Oscar Hartland, 16, who played Neil the Baby, left the cast "bawling their eyes out" as he performed Blackbird by The Beatles.

From BBC

But the book comes superbly to life in its character sketches, its bawling dialogue and its rugged sense of place.

From The Wall Street Journal