howling
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All three words describe strong wind, but each emphasises a different quality. 'Howling' focuses on the loud, continuous noise the wind makes as it passes through objects — it is the most sound-focused of the three. 'Blustery' describes wind that blows in strong, irregular gusts, often without the same sustained noise: 'It was a blustery March afternoon with leaves flying everywhere.' 'Fierce' emphasises the violent, destructive force of the wind rather than its sound: 'A fierce wind knocked down power lines across the county.' 'Roaring' sits between howling and fierce — it suggests a deep, loud sound like a jet engine, often used for storms or strong ocean winds: 'The roaring wind made conversation impossible on the deck.' Choose howling when you want the reader to hear the wind's drawn-out, wailing quality; choose fierce or blustery when the force or gusty pattern matters more than the sound.
Common collocations
Etymology
'Howling' comes from the verb 'howl', which traces back to Old English 'hūlan', an onomatopoeic word that imitates the long, loud cry of a wolf or dog. The word is related to Dutch 'huilen' (to cry, weep) and German 'heulen' (to howl, wail). The wind sense developed naturally by analogy — the sound of strong wind passing through gaps and around buildings resembles an animal's howl. The emphatic adjective sense (howling success, howling mistake) emerged in the 19th century as an informal intensifier, extending the idea of something strikingly loud or obvious into the realm of degree.