MEANING
1. To sing in a cheerful, lively way.
2. A joyful song, especially one associated with Christmas.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- birds carol
- carol a song
On the page
Birds caroled above the courtyard before the first visitors arrived.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- carol
- Past tense
- caroled or carolled
- Past participle
- caroled or carolled
- Present participle
- caroling or carolling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- carol
- Present continuous
- am/is/are caroling or carolling
- Present perfect
- have/has caroled or carolled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been caroling or carolling
- Past
- caroled or carolled
- Past continuous
- was/were caroling or carolling
- Past perfect
- had caroled or carolled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been caroling or carolling
- Future
- will carol
- Future continuous
- will be caroling or carolling
- Future perfect
- will have caroled or carolled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been caroling or carolling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: carol; carols; caroled or carolled; caroled or carolled; caroling or carolling. Noun singular carol; plural carols. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: dialogue, description. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: carols.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.