—used to express contempt or disapproval or to startle or frighten
plural boos
1
: a shout of disapproval or contempt
2
: any utterance at all
—usually used in negative constructions
never said boo
booed; booing; boos
: to deride especially by uttering a prolonged boo
: to express disapproval of by booing
the crowd booed the referee
plural boos
US slang
: a romantic partner : sweetheart, honey
Your parents might keep a sharp eye on potential partners and your besties may lay down difficult "friend tests," but only one real opinion on your new boo truly matters: what your dog thinks of them.—
Jaime Lees
Jaime LeesThis has left me skeptical of all new relationships—including my new boo.—Griffin Wynne
Griffin WynneExamples of boo in a Sentence
Noun (1)
A chorus of boos was heard after the shot missed the goal.
The announcement was greeted by a mixture of boos and cheers.
Verb
Many people in the crowd booed when the announcement was made.
Many people in the crowd booed the announcement, but a few people cheered it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Highlights include a costume parade (for kids and parents), a Purim story and boo Haman and songs.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Rick Steves, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Why Baylor signed James Nnaji When Nnaji came off the bench at around the 10-minute mark of the first half at TCU he was immediately met by boos from the fans.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Jan. 2026
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
Knicks fans booed their valiant, heroic, oftentimes teflon team when the Hawks’ lead ballooned to 29 points midway through the third quarter.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for boo
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Interjection
Williams also recalled witnessing the Super Bowl crowd boo Taylor Swift when she was shown on the jumbotron cheering on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Highlights include a costume parade (for kids and parents), a Purim story and boo Haman and songs.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Noun
That said, don’t wait for perfectly clear skies to head into the hills – even in bright, sunny weather, the Matterhorn loves playing peek-a-boo behind the clouds.
—Rick Steves, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Why Baylor signed James Nnaji When Nnaji came off the bench at around the 10-minute mark of the first half at TCU he was immediately met by boos from the fans.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
During a Tuesday morning appearance on The View, the Texas politician addressed recent remarks Vance made about her at a Turning Point event in December, where the crowd of conservatives booed her name as soon as the vice president spoke it on stage.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
Knicks fans booed their valiant, heroic, oftentimes teflon team when the Hawks’ lead ballooned to 29 points midway through the third quarter.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for boo
Cite this Entry
“Boo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boo. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boo
1 of 2 interjection
—used to express contempt or disapproval or to startle or frighten
boo
2 of 2 noun
plural boos
1
: a shout of disapproval or contempt
2
: any sound at all
never said boo
boo
verb
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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