whoop

verb

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\ ˈhüp

, ˈhu̇p

, ˈ(h)wüp

, ˈ(h)wu̇p

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

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Synonyms for whoop

Synonyms: Noun

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 Kate could sing a ballad but also whoop it up and toss off a throaty growl. — David Browne, Rolling Stone, "The Return of," 1 Apr. 2021 Instead of the huge crowds who usually whoop it up and wait for the Waterford Crystal New Year’s Eve Ball to drop at midnight, the celebration will be closed to the public, and mainly consist of performers and some essential workers. — oregonlive, "New Year’s Eve 2020 TV specials: How to watch and stream toasts, roasts, Pink Martini, and more," 31 Dec. 2020 Every night at seven o’clock, residents around the city are taking to their rooftops and hanging out their windows to clang pot lids and whoop their thanks to those who are unable to stay inside. — Rachel Riederer, The New Yorker, "Inside New York City’s Food-Supply Chain During the Coronavirus Pandemic," 30 Apr. 2020 The excitement was palpable at the inauguration in Faneuil Hall, where supporters whooped and cheered and offered a standing ovation for Mejia when Mayor Martin J. Walsh spoke of her election’s significance. — Stephanie Ebbert, BostonGlobe.com, "A wave of diversity changes the look of local councils," 7 Jan. 2020 Families hike through wooded hills, then whoop it up at the lodge’s indoor waterpark. — Sarah Feldberg, Travel + Leisure, "The Best Place to Camp in Each of the 50 States," 24 Feb. 2017 In France, console sales spiked by a whooping 140.6% during the first week of lockdown. — Amrita Khalid, Quartz, "How the Covid-19 pandemic caused a global Nintendo Switch shortage," 2 Apr. 2020 At each prize, the crowd whooped and cheered, often rising to its feet. — New York Times, "The Best and Worst Moments of the 2020 Oscars," 10 Feb. 2020 Following the win, the 22 good-luck charms, wearing their sons’ jerseys, formed a tunnel in the hallway outside the Bruins’ dressing room and whooped and hollered as their boys headed to the bus. — Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, "Bruins make their moms happy with big win over Predators," 8 Jan. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Sitting on a park bench as his students whoop and holler near a pier, Mikkelsen’s history professor tentatively starts doing a two-step. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, "The Year of Magical Drinking: Mads Mikkelsen and Thomas Vinterberg on ‘Another Round’," 15 Apr. 2021 Bob Cummings, 64, nodded, and Carpenter let out a whoop at having scored a reliably Republican vote. — Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, "‘It is a cliffhanger’: Republicans worry Trump’s moves could depress turnout in Georgia Senate runoffs," 4 Jan. 2021 While many supporters of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are exhaling a joyous whoop of victory, Trump's supporters may be angry, frustrated or sad at his loss and looking to the courts to address their concerns. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN, "With the election over, here are ways to take care of yourself, and your community," 8 Nov. 2020 Smiling widely, Allen pounded the table in front of him twice, and let out a guttural whoop. — Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, "Insider: Belief can make all the difference in the world, and it's helping Indiana football wipe its history away," 7 Nov. 2020 And then the very bright future with Luzardo, who came up with a new, better slider on the fly in his last outing, no big whoop. — Susan Slusser, SFChronicle.com, "A’s Plus: Taking a swing at Oakland’s first-round rotation," 23 Sep. 2020 Which wasn't the case before, no matter what your cousin Denny did with his Chevelle on that wicked whoop on the road to Laconia. — Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, "Great News! New Hampshire Has Made Flying Cars Road-Legal," 6 Aug. 2020 There is a loud ache of moving noise: whistling birds, clicking insects, the whoop and cough of unseen gibbons. — Paul Salopek, National Geographic, "After a century of logging, Myanmar struggles to preserve its teak groves," 5 Aug. 2020 Half the country experienced a lurch of nausea, the other half let out a whoop. — Jonathan Myerson, The New York Review of Books, "From Brexit to Covid: A Very British Debacle," 4 May 2020

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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Last Updated

6 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Whoop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whoop. Accessed 9 May. 2021.

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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

whoop

noun

Kids Definition of whoop (Entry 2 of 2)

: a loud strong shout or cheer

whoop

intransitive verb

\ ˈhüp

, ˈhu̇p