bellow

verb

bel·​low ˈbe-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce bellow (audio)
bellowed; bellowing; bellows

intransitive verb

1
: to make the loud deep hollow sound characteristic of a bull
2
: to shout in a deep voice

transitive verb

: bawl
bellows the orders
bellow noun

Examples of bellow in a Sentence

He bellowed at her to come over at once. He was bellowing into the phone, giving orders to one of his employees. The sergeant was bellowing orders.
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.
On the yacht to the Full Moon Party with Chelsea and Charlotte Le Bon’s Chloe, now temporarily out from under the brooding eye of Gary/Greg (Jon Gries), Saxon bellows his philosophy of life. Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025 Jones bellows in recognition of his 22-year-old team-mate also being called up by Tuchel for England duty. James Pearce, The Athletic, 15 Mar. 2025 Comparisons are inevitable as soon as Stanley starts bellowing his wife’s name as though his guts were pouring out of him. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025 Coming off a 1-0 loss to the Calgary Flames and a 3-2 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers, coach Martin St. Louis skated to centre ice after explaining a drill at the whiteboard and bellowed one instruction to his players. Arpon Basu, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bellow

Word History

Etymology

Middle English belwen, from Old English bylgian; akin to Old English & Old High German bellan to roar

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bellow was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bellow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bellow. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

bellow

verb
bel·​low ˈbel-ō How to pronounce bellow (audio)
: to make a deep loud roar like that of a bull
bellow noun

Biographical Definition

Bellow

biographical name

Bel·​low ˈbe-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce Bellow (audio)
Saul 1915–2005 American (Canadian-born) writer

More from Merriam-Webster on bellow

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