hoot 1 of 2

1
as in shout
a loud vocal expression of strong emotion the courtroom erupted in hoots of laughter upon hearing the witness's sarcastic retort to the lawyer's arrogant remark

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2
as in snort
a vocal sound made to express scorn or disapproval he ignored the hoots and jeers coming from the back of the crowd and kept on speaking until he'd had his say

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3
4
as in scream
someone or something that is very funny that stand-up comic is a hoot

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hoot

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hoot
Noun
The town hall crowd received my comments with strong clapping and appreciative hoots and hollers. Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025 And Mike Nappi is a hoot as Beau’s brother Peanut, who’s something like one of Shakespeare’s wise fool, spinning out truth-telling one-liners all night long. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Slots are now something that people play in groups — and there's a lot of hooting and hollering that goes along with it. Ashley J. Dimella , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Afterward, Loncar said the owlets’ mother roamed the yard, hooting, in hopes of finding her babies. Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hoot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoot
Noun
  • Sounds of loud trilling shouts after silent hunts, and singing.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Up ahead, two men argued, their shouts and curses drowning out the hum of a helicopter that circled in the distance.
    Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The upgraded exhaust system is a delight, burbling happily at idle, accompanying acceleration with a happy snort.
    Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Rapace’s response externalizes four different beats, from a snort to a tear, astonishment to anger.
    Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Even for those in the North who didn’t care a damn for the four million held in brutal bondage, or those who wanted a soft, conciliatory approach, the war began to take on new and moral meaning.
    Jack Sheehan September 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
  • At the start, the project required building a damn to drain the water from the facade.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Her newest venture into the genre is Hulu’s The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, a remake of the 1992 thriller of the same name, in which Winstead stars opposite fellow scream queen, Maika Monroe.
    Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 22 Oct. 2025
  • For the past decade, Monroe has established herself as a mainstay in the horror genre, not just a dependable player but a true modern scream queen who’s able to elevate predictable fare, stand toe-to-toe with monsters of all kinds, and, of course, lead modern classics to even greater heights.
    Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • There are hoots and hollers from raucous tourists on Bourbon Street, for example.
    Matt Alderton, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Bostwick asked as the audience hollered.
    Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • No woman, under any circumstance, deserves to be insulted or humiliated.
    Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Lee will later pop in to see Dan, the storefront lawyer next door, just to insult him by requesting a recommendation for a good lawyer.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Frehley picks up on the drummer’s simmering syncopation hereand unleashes a banshee-like howl of a solo that still clings to the band’s rhythm.
    A.D. Amorosi, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The long recess has drawn howls of protest from Democratic leaders, who have returned to Washington to demand negotiations that might lead to a bipartisan spending bill that could reopen the government.
    Mike Lillis, The Hill, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Anderson plunges the audience into the rebels’ point of view, immersing us in the recalcitrant pride and swagger of Perfidia Beverly Hills, a revolutionary leader played by Teyana Taylor with a hypnotic sneer of defiance.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Jacob sneers, but doesn’t even wait for his son to answer.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 15 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoot. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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