—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 WynneSynonyms
Examples 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 WebLinda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Volunteer yourself to help with X, Y and Z accommodations if that lightens the family’s workload, without saying boo about the couple’s choices.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024
James Nalton, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
When bass-baritone Samuel Youn eventually escorted her onto the stage, the audience responded with boos.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 19 Sep. 2024
Jerry Beach, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
The crowd began booing, goaded on further by Kristofferson comparing Abu-Jamal to Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Gandhi.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for boo 
Interjection
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
Volunteer yourself to help with X, Y and Z accommodations if that lightens the family’s workload, without saying boo about the couple’s choices.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024
Noun
There were boos in Old Trafford as the halftime whistle went, and though some of those were for referee Christopher Kavanagh, there had been general disappointment from the stands about the way their team played in the opening 45 minutes.
—James Nalton, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024
When bass-baritone Samuel Youn eventually escorted her onto the stage, the audience responded with boos.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 19 Sep. 2024
Verb
In late August, Lindor and good friend Javier Baez, whom the Mets acquired weeks earlier from the Chicago Cubs, began flashing a thumbs-down sign upon getting base hits in response to fans who booed the team throughout a disappointing season.
—Jerry Beach, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
The crowd began booing, goaded on further by Kristofferson comparing Abu-Jamal to Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Gandhi.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for boo
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near boo
Cite this Entry
“Boo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boo. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.
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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