whoop

verb

\ ˈhüp

, ˈhu̇p, ˈhwüp, ˈhwu̇p

, ˈwüp

, ˈwu̇p

whooped; whooping; whoops

Definition of whoop

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to utter a whoop in expression of eagerness, enthusiasm, or enjoyment : shout

2 : to utter the cry or call of an animal (such as an owl or gibbon)

3 : to make the characteristic whoop of whooping cough

4a : to go or pass with a loud noise

b : to be rushed through by acclamation or with noisy support the bill whooped through both houses

transitive verb

1a : to utter or express with a whoop

b : to urge, drive, or cheer on with a whoop

2 : to agitate in behalf of

3 : raise, boost whoop up the price

whoop it up

1 : to celebrate riotously : carouse

2 : to stir up enthusiasm

whoop

noun

Definition of whoop (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : a loud yell expressive of eagerness, exuberance, or jubilation —often used interjectionally

b : a shout of hunters or of people in battle or pursuit

2 : the loud cry or call of an animal (such as an owl, whooping crane, or gibbon) that resembles the sound of the word whoop

3 : the crowing intake of breath following a paroxysm in whooping cough

4 : a minimum amount or degree : the least bit not worth a whoop

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about whoop

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Synonyms for whoop

Synonyms: Noun

cry, holler, hoot, howl, shout, yell, yowl

Examples of whoop in a Sentence

Verb

The children whooped with joy at the sight of all the presents.

Noun

let out a whoop of joy he acts so rudely that I doubt he gives a whoop about other people's feelings

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Just to qualify for the World Series, the Red Sox first whooped the 100-win Yankees in the first round, then the 103-win Houston Astros in the ALCS. — Jared Diamond, WSJ, "Boston Red Sox: Greatest Season of All Time?," 29 Oct. 2018 Miranda’s father, Luis A. Miranda, Jr., announced the multimillion dollar goal onstage while guests clapped and whooped in unison. — Lauren Sanchez, Vogue, "Lin-Manuel Miranda Received a Standing Ovation at Hamilton’s Opening Night in Puerto Rico," 14 Jan. 2019 The outlet says the film brought in a whooping $71.32 million when it was released in 1989. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Every Weird Thing You Never Realized About National Lampoon's 'Christmas Vacation'," 2 Dec. 2018 His assistants, whooping off the court and into the evening, caught up with the New Orleans head coach just down the way from the visiting locker room. — John Canzano, OregonLive.com, "Canzano: Trail Blazers guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum go missing in Game 1 loss," 14 Apr. 2018 The third movement lacked the ultimate in screeching piccolo and whooping horns. — Alan Artner, chicagotribune.com, "In the heat, Moser, Grant Park Orchestra perform a delicate Dvorak," 30 June 2018 What actually happened is that Smith caused the game to go into overtime, where the Warriors proceeded to whoop that ass 124-114. — Stephen A. Crockett Jr., The Root, "In Defense of J.R. Smith, the Loneliest Man in Cleveland," 1 June 2018 Cano getting whooped with a belt by the assistant principal for smacking another kid upside the head. — Longreads, "La Otra," 26 June 2018 Outside the castle walls, tens of thousands of well-wishers thronged the streets, cheering, waving and whooping as the retinue passed, escorted by mounted members of the Royal Household Cavalry in full regalia. — Christina Boyle, latimes.com, "Joyous crowds greet newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after their marriage ceremony," 19 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

People pulled together, as the London String Group accompanied the proceedings, and resounding whoops were heard from the drama students in the balconies. — Vogue, "Claire Foy, Idris Elba, Anna Wintour, Sophie Okonedo, Ralph Fiennes, and the Cast of Hamilton Fete the 64th Evening Standard Theatre Awards," 19 Nov. 2018 And Chuck finally, half-heartedly, after being threatened/blackmailed/confronted/reminded of the truth by Jenny, apologizes for, whoops, trying to rape her. — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, "Every Single Episode of Gossip Girl, Ranked," 19 Sep. 2018 Every few minutes, it would be hoisted in the air to whoops and smiles. — Adam Kilgore, chicagotribune.com, "What happened in Vegas: All night with the Capitals and the Stanley Cup," 8 June 2018 Do my math and go to the payments website to give them $444 and whoops! — Dana Mcmahan, The Courier-Journal, "From broken AC to missing cleaners, a day in the life of an Airbnb host," 12 July 2018 Surrounded by toxins Juana Leilani recalls the shrill whoops from the chemical alarms that kept sounding as Scud missiles landed around them in Saudi Arabia at the start of the war. — Bill Lambrecht, Houston Chronicle, "Veterans Affairs chief’s firing hurt vets’ medical effort," 13 May 2018 Mistake Fares, Decoded For the most part, mistake fares come down to an itty-bitty human or technical error—like, whoops, that $154 flight actually costs $1,540. — Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "What Booking a 'Mistake Fare' Really Means," 22 June 2018 Surrounded by toxins Juana Leilani recalls the shrill whoops from the chemical alarms that kept sounding as Scud missiles landed around them in Saudi Arabia at the start of the war. — Bill Lambrecht, Houston Chronicle, "Veterans Affairs chief’s firing hurt vets’ medical effort," 13 May 2018 Surrounded by toxins Juana Leilani recalls the shrill whoops from the chemical alarms that kept sounding as Scud missiles landed around them in Saudi Arabia at the start of the war. — Bill Lambrecht, Houston Chronicle, "Veterans Affairs chief’s firing hurt vets’ medical effort," 13 May 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near whoop

Statistics for whoop

Last Updated

15 Feb 2019

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Time Traveler for whoop

The first known use of whoop was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for whoop

whoop

verb

English Language Learners Definition of whoop

(Entry 1 of 2)

informal : to shout loudly in an enthusiastic or excited way

whoop

noun

English Language Learners Definition of whoop (Entry 2 of 2)

: a high, loud sound expressing enthusiasm or excitement

See the full definition for whoop in the English Language Learners Dictionary

whoop

verb

\ ˈhüp

, ˈhu̇p\

whooped; whooping

Kids Definition of whoop

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to shout or cheer loudly and strongly “It's the men from camp,” the judge said. “They're searching for us.” We started whooping.— Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows

2 : to make the high-pitched gasping sound that follows a coughing attack in whooping cough