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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

Related Words

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
  • The shouts of rejection came in part because there was a plausible scenario under which James would have opened the season at Madison Square Garden in a Knicks uniform.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • No day in Gaza is normal, but Friday stood out for its shouts of delight as athletes pulled trucks, flipped massive tires and heaved weights in a strength competition that drew cheering crowds.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 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
  • Its songs are littered with black holes, disasters, nuclear bombs; there are guttural screams and onslaughts of distorted guitar.
    — Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The scream was out of character for a professional writer, entirely in character for a proud father.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of scream
Verb
  • Families climbed to their rooftops and hollered for rescuers.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Perhaps even more notable was his volume at prospect camp practice on Friday, hooting and hollering and firing up his teammates.
    — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of holler
Verb
  • Letter writer regrets hanging up on a telemarketer without insulting her first.
    — Judith Martin, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In this storybook little village she is ostracized, acknowledged negatively by the town’s men for her fishy smell, insulted regularly when not being totally ignored.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of insult
Noun
  • 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
  • The second slide was a video (without sound) of the couple’s first kiss, which King prefaced with what looked like a howl of joy, followed by a series of passionate kisses and an arms-in-the-air yelp from the groom.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of howl
Noun
  • Monica Bellucci’s sneer is a thing of wonder, so why have so few directors used it properly?
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The film’s sincerity — the quality critics praised most — was met with a sneer rather than a response.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 6 July 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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