MEANING
To move around quietly or stealthily in search of prey, an opportunity, or something to steal.
Use it for
A predator searching rather than charging; movement around a refuge; threat without a fixed targetUse repeated searching motion to imply hunger or opportunism.
Words that belong together
- prowl for prey
- prowl outside
- prowling animal
On the page
The animal prowled around the locked ambulance.
Something was prowling the corridor, testing each door.
He watched the shape prowl from one blind spot to another.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- prowl / prowls
- Past tense
- prowled
- Past participle
- prowled
- Present participle
- prowling
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- prowl / prowls
- Present continuous
- am/is/are prowling
- Present perfect
- have/has prowled
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been prowling
- Past
- prowled
- Past continuous
- was/were prowling
- Past perfect
- had prowled
- Past perfect continuous
- had been prowling
- Future
- will prowl / prowls
- Future continuous
- will be prowling
- Future perfect
- will have prowled
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been prowling
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Searching and roaming distinguish it from stalking a known target. It need not mean any aimless nighttime walk. Verb [base, third-person present, past, past participle, -ing]: prowl, prowls, prowled, prowled, prowling. Derived/related family (not inflections): prowler (agent noun).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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