hoot

verb

ˈhüt 

hooted; hooting; hoots

intransitive verb

1

: to shout or laugh usually derisively

2

: to make the natural throat noise of an owl or a similar cry

3

: to make a loud clamorous mechanical sound

transitive verb

1

: to assail or drive out by hooting

hooted down the speaker

2

: to express or utter with hoots

hooted their disapproval

Examples of hoot in a Sentence

We could hear an owl hooting in the woods.

I hooted at the car in front of me.

The crowd booed and hooted when it was announced that the show was canceled.

The crowd hooted its disapproval.

The speaker was hooted off the platform by a small group of protesters.

Recent Examples on the Web

Down the way, a bunch of young fellas were hooting and hollering. —Stephen King, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026

Owls would hoot and turkeys would scurry. —Tim Craig, Washington Post, 26 Apr. 2026

The neighbourhood Rosemead House sits on a quiet residential street in Esquimalt’s Saxe Point, where neighbours include hooting owls and families of deer. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

None of these words mean anything to me, but there was more hooting and hollering for this announcement in the press section of Caesar's than for any other piece of news today, so that's gotta count for something. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English houten, of imitative origin

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing hoot

• care a hoot
• give a hoot
• hoot down

Rhymes for hoot

• boot
• bruit
• brut
• brute
• chute
• coot
• cute
• flute
• fruit
• jute
• loot
• lute

Kids Definition

hoot

1 of 2 verb

ˈhüt 

1

: to utter a loud shout usually of scorn

2

: to make the characteristic call of an owl or a similar sound

3

: to drive out by hooting

hooter noun

hoot

2 of 2 noun

1

: a sound of hooting

especially : the call of an owl

2

: a very small amount

don't give a hoot

3

: an amusing person or thing