ululate means to howl loudly or prolongedly in lamentation or joy. It carries an Arena rating of 1691, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, ululate ranks #1,289 of 25,264 for Qualifying, #1,821 of 14,340 for Most Vivid Words, #2,338 of 14,361 for Most Ingenious Words, #2,517 of 14,440 for Most Satisfying to Say.
ululate is pronounced /ˈjuːljuleɪt/.
Why “ululate” is a great word
To emit a high-pitched, rhythmic, piercing cry, especially as an expression of communal grief, triumph, or devotion. From Latin *ululāre*, *ululātus* ("to howl, shriek"), of imitative origin; first recorded in English 1615–25. Unlike "howl" (which evokes the sustained, mournful note of a wolf or a gale) or "wail" (which suggests a continuous stream of private sorrow), *ululate* carries the specific, trilling vibration of shared human ritual. It is the collective voice rising above a funeral procession in North Africa, the celebratory tongue-fluttering of a wedding in the Caucasus, and the ancient, chilling chorus that once greeted the moon—a primal music mapping the border between sorrow and ecstasy, the body's oldest instrument refusing to be silenced by mere words.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin ululō, ululātus, of imitative origin. Cognate with Spanish aullar (“to howl”) and ulular (“to hoot”), and French ululer (“to howl”).
verb
- To howl loudly or prolongedly in lamentation or joy.“Should I ever marry, Watson, I should hope to inspire my wife with some feeling which would prevent her from being walked off by a housekeeper when my corpse was lying within a few yards of her. It was badly stage-managed; for even the rawest investigators must be struck by the absence of the usual feminine ululation.”
- To produce a rapid and prolonged series of sharp noises with one's voice.
Words closest in meaning
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