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
Though married to Betty Jo (Jeanne Tripplehorn, a hoot in femme-fatale mode), Dale was rumored to be gay. Judy Berman, Time, 23 Sep. 2025 Milvia Marigliano is a hoot as Coco Vulori, an old dear friend with some very loud opinions to express, and maybe the key to helping DeSantis solve his wife’s onetime unfaithfulness. Pete Hammond, Deadline, 27 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
  • Normally, scent voices are mere whispers compared to the screams and angry shouts of humans, but in that section, certain sensitive plant species shrieked incessantly because of their proximity to plants that hindered their growth.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Chowhouse also gave a shout out to Nimki, a pop up brand by Beard Award finalist for Emerging Chef was Nikhil Naiker, that will move from Courtland Club to Club Frills this January.
    Rin Velasco, The Providence Journal, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • The page gave a deep snort, hocking a chartreuse wad against the root of the nightingale’s birch.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • But does anyone worth a damn really want to go to Madison right now?
    Manny Navarro, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • For KATSEYE‘s Megan, that revelation arrived not during the live reveal or from celebratory screams, but in the glow of KATSEYE’s group chat.
    Jeff Benjamin, Billboard, 8 Nov. 2025
  • The teenage girl riding behind Chris and Cassie Evins on the Mamba let out a dramatic scream as the roller coaster zipped down the track last month.
    Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Anez Cooper were hollering for the play.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
  • There are hoots and hollers from raucous tourists on Bourbon Street, for example.
    Matt Alderton, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But there’s a big difference between knowing that a relative is a pill and loving them through it and being rudely insulted by a relative and just sucking it up.
    Eric Thomas, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
  • Despite his mediator role, Rodríguez is also known for his explosive temperament, lashing out in Congress and publicly threatening and insulting members of the opposition.
    Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 4 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • United Methodist leadership with the bishop’s office preached to students, who welcomed the leaders with excited howls.
    Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Oct. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • McDonald’s is spreading a little festive sneer this holiday season with the release of a brand-new menu inspired by Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
  • Burnett tried several versions in a row: first deadpan, then with a sneer of sarcasm, pursing her lips in judgment.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoot. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.

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