hoot 1 of 2

Definition of hootnext
1
as in shout
a loud vocal expression of strong emotion the courtroom erupted in hoots of laughter upon hearing the witness's sarcastic retort to the lawyer's arrogant remark

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2
as in snort
a vocal sound made to express scorn or disapproval he ignored the hoots and jeers coming from the back of the crowd and kept on speaking until he'd had his say

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3
4
as in scream
someone or something that is very funny that stand-up comic is a hoot

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hoot

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hoot
Noun
Aziza Scott is a hoot as Anna’s pregnant best friend/real-talk Greek chorus of sorts, and Coiro herself doles out zingers as a random tourist on a bus. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026 And Donnie was so into it and so prepared, and just a hoot. Rebecca Milzoff, Billboard, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
The speakers do break down a bit at the absolute extremes of their bass and treble support, succumbing to slight crackling and hooting with extended heavy bass drops and marginally distorting the very brightest treble sounds. John Archer, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2026 House the La Vista Baby hooted at Don’t Ate the Player, Ate The Game and Waulesi Asadye. Literary Hub, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hoot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoot
Noun
  • Every open gaming table has empty seats, though an occasional excited shout can be heard across the floor.
    James Powel, USA Today, 15 July 2026
  • Yet, despite the fact that supernovas have been erupting every second over the course of 13 billion years or so to produce the neutrinos that accumulate as the DSNB, this ghostly signal is still faint, a whisper rather than a shout.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 July 2026
Noun
  • The class had been quiet after the camp text, but now there was at least one snort.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • The Rodents of Unusual Size that attack Westley in a swamp work because they are played by small men in rodent suits, rather than coolly conjured from pixels; their deliberate artifice is the thrill, and Reiner provided the voice for their hideous snorts.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • And if that is to be the case, most Chicagoans do not give a damn whether the team goes to Arlington Heights or Hammond.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
  • In a world of drivers mostly ruled by their corporate sponsors, Busch was an otherworldly talent who simply did not give a damn.
    Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026
Noun
  • Later that pitch-black night, Erez steps to the edge of her terrace, looks down at the sleepy city below, and lets out a blood-curdling scream.
    Marisa Fox, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
  • For Lind, the endeavor was less about being a scream queen and more about shepherding a production.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2026
Verb
  • At Daytona International Speedway more than 70,000 persons whooped, hollered and slugged down beer watching Cale Yarborough win the Firecracker 400 automobile race.
    Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 July 2026
  • Consider the field holler that became one of the taproots of American popular music.
    Iqbal Akhtar, The Conversation, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • There isn’t a positive review in sight as the finders rip through strongly worded and insulting critiques from major music publications.
    Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • In June 2022, Cuban authorities sentenced Otero Alcántara to five years in prison on charges including public disorder, contempt and insulting national symbols.
    Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 20 July 2026
Noun
  • Her Valley girl howl will stop you in your tracks, proclaiming friendship, revolution, and, yeah, lust.
    Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • Things that made your red-eyed soul sing and howl are few and far between.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • The film’s sincerity — the quality critics praised most — was met with a sneer rather than a response.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 July 2026
  • With his rakish sneer and ruthlessly tight jodhpurs, Rupert has been thoroughly neutered with irony, transformed into an object for women to pick at.
    Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoot. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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