catcall

noun cat·call \ -ˌkȯl \

Updated on: 28 Mar 2018

Definition of catcall

1 : a loud or raucous cry made especially to express disapproval (as at a sports event)

Even Winslow, who led the league in catches for the second straight year, was hearing catcalls.
—Rick Reilly

2 : a loud, sexually suggestive call or comment directed at someone publicly (as on the street)

… every single time I go running in a public place without my male running partner, I am the target of catcalls.
—Natalie DeBlasio

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catcall

verb

See catcall defined for English-language learners

See catcall defined for kids

Examples of catcall in a Sentence

The pitcher heard angry catcalls as he walked off the field.
the band's sloppy playing produced only catcalls from the crowd

Recent Examples of catcall from the Web

Tafoya has been doing promotional work for Secret deodorant, with a campaign spotlighting women in the football world who've overcome the catcalls, prejudice and machismo to stand out in the field.

— USA TODAY, "For Tafoya, preparation is key going into 4th Super Bowl," 31 Jan. 2018
The women reported a broader range of incidents, from catcalls to forcible rape, and their accounts, unlike the men’s, were shot through with either actual or perceived threats of violence.

— peggy orenstein, The Cut, "Boys Often Don’t Recognize When They’ve Been Sexually Assaulted," 8 Mar. 2018
Trump's overall presentation drew catcalls from his critics.

— david jackson, USA TODAY, "'A teacher would have shot the hell out of him': Trump cites Parkland shooting as reason to arm teachers," 23 Feb. 2018
Warmth wasn’t all that greeted Feinstein, who heard catcalls throughout from a crowd far more demanding than the one that greeted Harris the following day.

— laura king, latimes.com, "Watch live: House GOP leaders hold news conference after Rep. Nunes announces he is stepping aside in Russia probe," 28 Aug. 2017
The catcalls in the Bronx are particularly pointed because of Keuchel’s history with the Yankees, having shut them out for six innings in the 2015 wild-card game and for seven innings in the opener of this series.

— billy witz, New York Times, "Yankees Overcome a Nemesis as Masahiro Tanaka Stifles the Astros," 18 Oct. 2017
Between catcalls about being left by Southern Cal at the airport or the infamous Joey Freshwater (Kiffin’s reported – and unconfirmed – social alias), Kiffin heard plenty.

— gentry estes, The Courier-Journal, "Look out, college football: Lane Kiffin is winning at Florida Atlantic and drawing attention doing it," 31 Oct. 2017
But one thing men and women have been doing wrong for so many years is ignoring the catcalls.

— maureen sherry, Fortune, "France Wants to Outlaw Catcalling. Here’s Why the U.S. Shouldn’t.," 31 Aug. 2017
The first black couple to move into the development, William and Daisy Myers, were besieged and subjected to cross burnings and racist catcalls.

— kyle smith, National Review, "George Clooney’s Latest Oscar Bait," 26 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'catcall.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of catcall

1693

catcall Synonyms

CATCALL Defined for English Language Learners

catcall

noun

Definition of catcall for English Language Learners

: a sound or noise that someone (such as an audience member) makes toward a speaker, performer, athlete, etc., that he or she does not like

CATCALL Defined for Kids

catcall

noun cat·call \ ˈkat-ˌkȯl \

Definition of catcall for Students

: a sound like the cry of a cat or a noise expressing disapproval (as at a sports event)

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See words that rhyme with catcall Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for catcall Spanish Central: Translation of catcall Nglish: Translation of catcall for Spanish speakers

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catcall

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CATCALL Defined for English Language Learners

catcall

Definition of catcall for English Language Learners

CATCALL Defined for Kids

catcall

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