Meaning & use
cawed
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“cawed” is a form of “caw”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Made the loud, rough cry that a crow, raven, or similar large black bird makes.
Grammar: No object; the bird is the subject: the crow cawed. You cannot 'caw' something.
Patterns
- a bird cawed
- cawed at something
- cawed loudly
A crow cawed somewhere above the trees.
The rooks cawed loudly as we crossed the field.
She heard something cawed in the fog but could not see the bird.
verbtransitive or intransitivefigurative
Spoke in a loud, harsh voice that sounded like a crow's cry.
Grammar: Often used with speech verbs: he cawed (out) an answer. It suggests an ugly, rough sound.
Patterns
- cawed something
- cawed out something
- cawed at someone
He cawed out the words as if his throat hurt.
"Get back!" she cawed across the yard.
The old man cawed a laugh and shook his head.
Word forms
| base form | caw |
|---|---|
| third person singular | caws |
| present participle | cawing |
| past tense | cawed |
| past participle | cawed |
Common combinations
- cawed loudly
- The crow cawed loudly from the roof.
- cawed overhead
- Geese and crows cawed overhead all morning.
- a crow cawed
- A crow cawed, and the whole flock took off.
Synonyms and how they differ
- croaked
- Used for a low, rough sound made by a frog, raven, or a person with a sore throat; 'cawed' is more specific to crows and similar birds.
- screeched
- Describes a much higher, sharper, piercing sound, like a hawk or brakes; 'cawed' is lower and harsher.
- squawked
- Suggests a loud, rough cry, often of a parrot or a person complaining; 'cawed' belongs to crows and ravens.
Word family
Commonly confused: cawed or called? cawed or cawed vs. cowed?
cawed vs called
'Called' is the past of 'call' and is a general word for making a sound or speaking; 'cawed' is only the rough cry of a crow-like bird.
cawed vs cawed vs. cowed
'Cowed' (from 'cow') means frightened into obedience; it sounds almost the same but has a completely different meaning.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'cawed' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Cawed' describes the loud, harsh cry of a crow or similar bird, so option B fits. Sparrows chirp rather than caw, dogs bark, and a soft lullaby is the opposite of a harsh caw.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cawed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.