meow

noun

me·​ow mē-ˈau̇ How to pronounce meow (audio)
variants or British miaow
Synonyms of meownext
1
: the cry of a cat
2
: a spiteful or malicious remark
meow intransitive verb
or British miaow

Examples of meow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mavis is the first to greet visitors, happily saying hello with sweet meows, gentle bunts, and plenty of affection. — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 14 Aug. 2026 One more time, Iowa, thank you so meow-ch for your enthusiastic response to this contest! — Gabriela Velasquez, Des Moines Register, 14 Aug. 2026 The scolding was met with more meows and barks. — Clara McMichael, ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026 The cafe will also offer special happy meow-er drink prices. — Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for meow

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of meow was in 1582

Phrases Containing meow

Rhymes for meow

See All Rhymes for meow

Browse Nearby Words

Meo
meow
MEP
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Meow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meow. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

meow

noun
me·​ow mē-ˈau̇ How to pronounce meow (audio)
: the characteristic sound of a cat
meow verb

More from Merriam-Webster on meow

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for meow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All