squall
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A loud cry or wail.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
skwawlIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈskwɔl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
often nautical
A sudden storm, as found in a squall line.
meteorology
A squall line, multicell line, or part of a squall line.
A loud cry or wail.
verb
To cry or wail loudly.
Blow in a squall
“When it squalls, a prudent sailor reefs his sails.”
of rain
To fall suddenly and forcefully, as if a squall.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient
- Frequency
- Rare
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Word Aura is being prepared for this meaning.
More ways to use squall
- “When it squalls, a prudent sailor reefs his sails.”verb
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A cold front along which squalls or thunderstorms are likely.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “squall” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.