1
as in shouts
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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hoots
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
Owl hoots are most effective at striking up turkeys when owls are naturally active, which is around dawn and dusk.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
The Blackhawks dressing room was a rowdy scene after the game, their hoots and hollers reverberating throughout the bowels of the United Center.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Cowboy and cowgirl hoots and hollers complement the rumbling of the massive animals’ hooves as they’re rounded up into the corrals.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025
There are hoots and hollers from raucous tourists on Bourbon Street, for example.
—Matt Alderton, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
There are a few hoots and hollers as the others agree or protest.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2025
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
Noun
Wiseman said to hoots from the crowd of media gathered at the site.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
Owl hoots are most effective at striking up turkeys when owls are naturally active, which is around dawn and dusk.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
The Blackhawks dressing room was a rowdy scene after the game, their hoots and hollers reverberating throughout the bowels of the United Center.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Cowboy and cowgirl hoots and hollers complement the rumbling of the massive animals’ hooves as they’re rounded up into the corrals.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025
There are hoots and hollers from raucous tourists on Bourbon Street, for example.
—Matt Alderton, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
There are a few hoots and hollers as the others agree or protest.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2025
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
-
Organizers for Eurovision said that a few of the disruptive attendees were removed from the arena, and their shouts were edited out of the performance clip posted by Eurovision online.—
Andrew Flanagan,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
So, too, do the frustrated shouts as Queens Park Rangers coast to a 3-1 win that was even more convincing than the scoreline suggests.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
11 May 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
Noun
-
The hours and hours of screams, only silenced when victims were finally murdered.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
-
But there were no loud gasps or terrified screams during the screening.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Foxes use a variety of calls, including barks, howls, yaps, and growls.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Each dish and recipe howls with a common sense of place.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rallying cries were common before key games, particularly those where Everton’s top-flight status was on the line.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Shaina Montiel says her mother stills cries thinking about her harrowing experience with hantavirus at age 5, which, according to the CDC, can have a fatality rate up to 38%, depending on the type of syndrome caused by it.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Eventually music theory discussion turned to actual licks.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
-
She was known to sneak butter from the fridge to enjoy a few finger licks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The tech is terrifying, but it’s treated matter-of-factly, played for barked laughs.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
How important to you is comedy and releasing tension with laughs?—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The Blackhawks dressing room was a rowdy scene after the game, their hoots and hollers reverberating throughout the bowels of the United Center.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Cowboy and cowgirl hoots and hollers complement the rumbling of the massive animals’ hooves as they’re rounded up into the corrals.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hoots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoots. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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