hoot 1 of 2

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
Too many people, bad behavior, shouting, hooting, everyone trying to get on top of the animals for the best photo. Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 4 Aug. 2025 Byrne camps up the vocals, hooting, hollering, snarling, yelping and whooping; Harrison thickens the guitar mix; Tina and Chris drive the rhythm; and songs tumble one into the next like a great, sweaty-ass DJ set. Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2025
Verb
And Mike Nappi is a hoot as Beau’s brother Peanut, who’s something like one of Shakespeare’s wise fool, spinning out truth-telling one-liners all night long. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025 The cult horror flick doesn't totally deliver on a great premise, but Malkovich is a hoot as a cross between Davids Bowie and Koresh. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hoot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoot
Noun
  • And a shout out to our executive producer on site, Lydia Randall, because podcasting—like every other part of journalism—is a team sport.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Their shouts came from them with surety.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The upgraded exhaust system is a delight, burbling happily at idle, accompanying acceleration with a happy snort.
    Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Rapace’s response externalizes four different beats, from a snort to a tear, astonishment to anger.
    Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Even for those in the North who didn’t care a damn for the four million held in brutal bondage, or those who wanted a soft, conciliatory approach, the war began to take on new and moral meaning.
    Jack Sheehan September 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
  • At the start, the project required building a damn to drain the water from the facade.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Melissa, who was napping upstairs, woke up after hearing Stacy's screams and saw Ward on top of her sister.
    Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 24 Sep. 2025
  • One person gets swept up in the water while others clamber to the sides of the area as screams are heard in the background.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Look no further than Kristina for the first player to hoot and holler about… snakes?
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Slots are now something that people play in groups — and there's a lot of hooting and hollering that goes along with it.
    Ashley J. DiMella , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • To add injury to insult, the Cowboys also lost star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to an ankle injury that forced him from the game.
    Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Posts garnered thousands of replies from people calling for her job, insulting her appearance and using her post as a reason for a general disdain of left-leaning people.
    Cate Charron, IndyStar, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • With his singular, deafening howl, Lindberg helped put At the Gates at the forefront of Gothenburg, Sweden’s melodic death metal revolution.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The wind’s howl filled my left ear and the music blasted from my speakers filled my right.
    Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Jacob sneers, but doesn’t even wait for his son to answer.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2025
  • The single, meanwhile, is ushered in with a gripping bass line and an undercurrent of keyboards until Osbourne makes his grand vocal entrance, all sneers and snarls.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 23 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoot. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

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