1
as in howls
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in snorts
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damns
the smallest amount or part imaginable
I don't give a hoot whether you want to go or not—you're going
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in screams
someone or something that is very funny
that stand-up comic is a hoot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 hoots
James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The town hall crowd received my comments with strong clapping and appreciative hoots and hollers.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
All the segments understand the assignment, aiming primarily to elicit hoots and hollers.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The town hall crowd received my comments with strong clapping and appreciative hoots and hollers.
—Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoots
Noun
-
Their shouts came from them with surety.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Conduit congregants welcomed Baker’s video with whoops, shouts and tears, signaling a shared grief.—
Liam Adams,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Melissa, who was napping upstairs, woke up after hearing Stacy's screams and saw Ward on top of her sister.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
24 Sep. 2025
-
One person gets swept up in the water while others clamber to the sides of the area as screams are heard in the background.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The ugly episode drew howls from those lawmakers in both parties who are calling to tone down the hostilities and focus on legislating, not seeking attention on social media.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The screams, the reason everyone assembles, when the screams come, after a few collective inhales and exhales and a moment to gather one’s thoughts, the screams come like long guttural howls.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Since Kimmel’s remark, the backlash has shifted from conservative furor to cries of capitulation, coming from Capitol Hill Democrats, to former President Barack Obama, to former Disney CEO Michael Eisner.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Kershaw was on the winning end more often than not, but that didn’t mean the Giants didn’t also get in their licks.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
-
From bouncy dancehall riddims and hip-hop production inflections to tender country and western guitar licks, Treasure Self Love distills Iké’s wide range of childhood music into a succinct 11-track study of achieving wholeness by unflinchingly examining the darkest parts of your past.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Here are the teams that will freak out as the rest of baseball points and laughs.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Though the subject matter of the show is serious, the women share plenty of laughs when the cameras aren’t rolling.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ruidoso, New Mexico — The soft dribble of rain drapes a herd of cowboy hats as an auctioneer hollers bidding numbers into the mist.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
-
This included early American music forms, marches, spirituals, field hollers, work songs and African rhythms, as well as their musical descendants, like jazz, blues, gospel, country and rock ‘n’ roll.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In the case of Governor Pritzker insults his body, body shamed him.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
-
No matter how many times Putin insults the president and ignores his calls for a total ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump returns for more humiliation.—
Trudy Rubin,
Mercury News,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoots. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share