whooped; whooping; whoops

intransitive verb

1
: to utter a whoop in expression of eagerness, enthusiasm, or enjoyment : shout
2
: to utter the cry or call of an animal (such as an owl or gibbon)
3
: to make the characteristic whoop of whooping cough
4
a
: to go or pass with a loud noise
b
: to be rushed through by acclamation or with noisy support
the bill whooped through both houses

transitive verb

1
a
: to utter or express with a whoop
b
: to urge, drive, or cheer on with a whoop
2
: to agitate in behalf of
3
: raise, boost
whoop up the price

whoop

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a loud yell expressive of eagerness, exuberance, or jubilation
often used interjectionally
b
: a shout of hunters or of people in battle or pursuit
2
: the loud cry or call of an animal (such as an owl, whooping crane, or gibbon) that resembles the sound of the word whoop
3
: the crowing intake of breath following a paroxysm in whooping cough
4
: a minimum amount or degree : the least bit
not worth a whoop
Phrases
whoop it up
1
: to celebrate riotously : carouse
2
: to stir up enthusiasm

Examples of whoop in a Sentence

Verb The children whooped with joy at the sight of all the presents. Noun let out a whoop of joy he acts so rudely that I doubt he gives a whoop about other people's feelings
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Why are whooping cough cases rising in Wisconsin? DHS did not share any specific causes for the outbreak, but the case spike in Wisconsin is generally on par with nationwide trends. Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2024 There have been more cases of whooping cough in Clark County, Washington this year than in the last six years combined, according to health department data. Meira Gebel, Axios, 11 Oct. 2024
Noun
Cameron Brink announced her engagement, drawing a stream of online whoops from fellow WNBA players. Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 1 Oct. 2024 Lots of noise, big splashes, a few congratulatory whoops and hollers. Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for whoop 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whoop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English whopen, houpen, from Anglo-French huper, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of whoop was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near whoop

Cite this Entry

“Whoop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whoop. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

whoop

1 of 2 verb
ˈhüp How to pronounce whoop (audio) ˈhu̇p How to pronounce whoop (audio)
least frequently for sense 2
ˈhwüp How to pronounce whoop (audio)
or
ˈhwu̇p How to pronounce whoop (audio)
1
: to shout or call loudly and energetically especially in enthusiasm or enjoyment
the children whooped with joy
2
: to make the sound that follows an attack of coughing in whooping cough

whoop

2 of 2 noun
1
: a whooping sound
2
: a loud booming cry of a bird (as an owl or crane)

Medical Definition

whoop

1 of 2 intransitive verb
: to make the characteristic whoop of whooping cough

whoop

2 of 2 noun
: the crowing intake of breath following a paroxysm in whooping cough

More from Merriam-Webster on whoop

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