hoot 1 of 2

Definition of hootnext
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
And Bina Daigeler’s costumes are a hoot, ostentatiously fashionable and expensive and sexy. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026 This irresistible record is a hoot. Paul Grein, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
When the crowd begins hooting in response, Nanjiani winces. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025 Players shoot up out of their chairs, hooting and hollering. Chris Vannini, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hoot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoot
Noun
  • But any team overtaking McLaren, which won the constructors’ championship by more than 360 points last year, will also have a shout.
    The Athletic, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
  • On at least three occasions, one or more protesters interrupted the discussion with shouts from the balcony and floor seats, demanding Newsom do something about privatized prisons and the ICE sweeps of immigrants.
    Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Soon come the snorts, the heavy body of a second hog tottering heavily from the hut.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The Rodents of Unusual Size that attack Westley in a swamp work because they are played by small men in rodent suits, rather than coolly conjured from pixels; their deliberate artifice is the thrill, and Reiner provided the voice for their hideous snorts.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • What is emerging instead is a stewardship model that treats vital ecosystems, like coral reefs, as dynamic systems requiring maintenance, repair, and adaptation, much like roads, damns, and power grids.
    Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 23 Feb. 2026
  • My parents have no idea what’s happening because legacy media is not reporting on anything worth a damn.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • My screams finally drew my friend’s mom to intervene.
    Jennifer Wolfgram, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
  • By now, the standard sound of rage rap — redlining drums deployed with abandon, frenetic, almost spastic chord arrangements, and often shouted, mantra-like lyrics delivered in an impassioned scream — has become a predictable shorthand for overtures to a younger audience.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Those take-one-for-the-team moments had the Lakers’ reserves up and hollering.
    Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
  • My husband heard the commotion and hollered at me for yelling at his sister.
    Jeanne Phillips, Dallas Morning News, 22 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Giving these rewards is logistically difficult, expensive for the teacher, and insulting for the kid.
    Scott Ervin, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
  • She was detained in September and charged with posting propaganda critical of the Islamic Republic on social media and insulting its Supreme Leader and Islam, according to her son Reza Zarrabi, a political activist who lives in Germany.
    Philip Marcelo, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Aquilla Sadalla’s wordless vocals, a gorgeous swell of howls and heaves, complement the arrangement without becoming the focal point.
    Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 3 Feb. 2026
  • At about two this morning, the familiar howl of air-raid sirens woke me in the center of Kyiv, followed by the low thuds of anti-aircraft cannons attempting to shoot down Russian drones.
    Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • From the sneer of Billy Idol to the smooth sashaying of Sade, the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees amplify the institution’s commitment to recognizing a diverse slate.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Valarr asks Ser Duncan with a sneer.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoot. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

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