variants or less commonly shoutout
plural shout-outs also shoutouts
informal
: a public expression of greeting, praise, or acknowledgment directed toward a person or group often as part of a performance, recording, or broadcast
She opened her acceptance speech with a shout-out to James Baldwin, the author of the book on which the movie was based, calling him "one of the greatest artists of our time."Neal Justin
Here are a few lyrical shout-outs to some of hip hop's favorite designers.Scott Poulson-Bryant
She even gave a shoutout to one of her former teachers on Twitter, and encouraged others to do the same.Emily Sweeney

Examples of shout-out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The biggest applause of the night went to Joni Mitchell and Don Lemon, who both received shout-outs from Davis. John Ross, Vanity Fair, 1 Feb. 2026 Do the allusions and shout-outs to current events and personalities seem a little too close for comfort? Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026 Coogler, 39, then received a special shout-out from Jordan (who has worked with the director on 2013's Fruitvale Station, 2015's Creed and 2018's Black Panther). Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026 And a shout-out to the Grammy Association for making this happen. Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shout-out

Word History

Etymology

originally African American English, noun derivative of shout out "to give recognition to, publicly acknowledge"

Note: The popularization of shout-out has been attributed to the Black DJ and music video producer Ralph McDaniels, who co-hosted the program Video Music Box on the New York City public television station WNYC from 1984 to 1996.

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shout-out was in 1990

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shout-out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shout-out. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

shout–out

noun
variants also shoutout
informal
: a public expression of greeting, praise, or acknowledgment directed toward a person or group often as part of a performance, broadcast, or recording
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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