hooted; hooting; hoots
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
1
: a sound of hooting
especially
: the cry of an owl
2
: a minimum amount or degree : the least bit
don't give a hoot
3
: something or someone amusing
the play is a real hoot
variants
or hoots
chiefly Scotland
—used to express impatience, dissatisfaction, or objection
Examples of hoot in a Sentence
Verb
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.
Noun
The announcement was met with hoots of derision.
the courtroom erupted in hoots of laughter upon hearing the witness's sarcastic retort to the lawyer's arrogant remark
Recent Examples on the Web
Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 4 Aug. 2025
The microphone mini-games are wildly fun, tasking you with hooting and hollering to make cars race or just show your general enthusiasm for Bowser himself.
—PC Magazine, 23 July 2025
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
Hanna’s father is, on the one hand, a hoot, a charming eccentric who drops by for drinks on the porch and is frequently the source of some laugh-out-loud punchlines.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoot
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Verb
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
The microphone mini-games are wildly fun, tasking you with hooting and hollering to make cars race or just show your general enthusiasm for Bowser himself.
—PC Magazine, 23 July 2025
Noun
To the filmmakers’ credit, that includes the kind of retrograde, politically incorrect humor — the cops’ anatomical appreciations of Beth are a hoot — that makes the movie feel almost like the old Naked Gun.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
Hanna’s father is, on the one hand, a hoot, a charming eccentric who drops by for drinks on the porch and is frequently the source of some laugh-out-loud punchlines.
—John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoot
Cite this Entry
“Hoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoot. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hoot
1 of 2 verb1
: 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 noun1
: 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
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