hoot 1 of 2

noun

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damn
the smallest amount or part imaginable I don't give a hoot whether you want to go or not—you're going

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hoot

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to shout

Related Words
2
as in to insult

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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
Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalizations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles. — Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026 Baez is Paloma Blanca, and to see her in this role is a hoot. — Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
The speakers do break down a bit at the absolute extremes of their bass and treble support, succumbing to slight crackling and hooting with extended heavy bass drops and marginally distorting the very brightest treble sounds. — John Archer, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2026 House the La Vista Baby hooted at Don’t Ate the Player, Ate The Game and Waulesi Asadye. — Literary Hub, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hoot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoot
  1. shout
  2. snort
  3. damn
  4. scream
  5. holler
  6. insult
  7. howl
  8. sneer
Noun
  • In Cornwall, some communities gather in local pubs for a traditional Cornish ‘shout’, joining together to sing folk songs and sea shanties.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Her speech deteriorated into shouts and hums and eventually almost disappeared.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of shout
Noun
  • The class had been quiet after the camp text, but now there was at least one snort.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 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
Definition of snort
Noun
  • Trump is not a successful deal maker, because no deal Trump makes is worth a damn.
    — Chris Brennan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • And if that is to be the case, most Chicagoans do not give a damn whether the team goes to Arlington Heights or Hammond.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Definition of damn
Noun
  • On the title track Chen reaches for the psaltery (a kind of zither without frets), creating a meandering, medieval atmosphere whose ubiquitous electronic background buzz foreshadows the biting screams and blistering bass to come.
    — James Gui, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
  • After Pan announced that Kiley had called him to concede, the attendees at his election night event at Frends Brewhouse erupted into joyful screams, applause and eventually chanted his name.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • Beoga was there to support Macklemore on Monday, alongside surprise guests including Hozier and Kneecap and a passionate Irish crowd that hooted and hollered for the duration of the nearly four-hour event.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Families climbed to their rooftops and hollered for rescuers.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of holler
Verb
  • Under Milei and Lula, Argentina and Brazil have had a rocky relationship, which took a decisive turn for the worse in July when Brazil recalled its ambassador to Argentina after Milei insulted Brazilian officials while in the country.
    — Eléonore Hughes, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Calling this all-wheel-drive EX-L a dog would insult geriatric, three-legged canines everywhere.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • Not a movie starlet scream, but uninhibited howls of pure terror.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • When the sun goes down, the wind picks up in central New Mexico, whipping through arid canyons with a ghostly howl that for centuries, locals have likened to the wails of the folkloric ghost La Llorona.
    — Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of howl
Noun
  • Dylan’s sneer and Mick Ronson’s guitar jab like fingers in some intense argument, trying to win the pyrrhic victory of a lovers’ quarrel.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Monica Bellucci’s sneer is a thing of wonder, so why have so few directors used it properly?
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of sneer

Browse Nearby Words

hoosegows
hoot
hooted
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Cite this Entry

“Hoot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoot. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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