hoots 1 of 2

noun

plural of hoot
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

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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

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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

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4
as in screams
someone or something that is very funny that stand-up comic is a hoot

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hoots

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of hoot
1
as in howls

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2
as in jeers

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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
Noun
With a few hoots and hollers, and even a couple clucks, the group took off on their ascent to the Betty Bear Hut. — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 30 July 2026 Their hoots and hollers drowned Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s explanation of how a title defense fell short. — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 31 May 2026 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hoots
  1. shouts
  2. snorts
  3. licks
  4. screams
  5. howls
  6. insults
  7. cries
  8. boos
Noun
  • Jonsson grew visibly emotional amid the shouts and cheers for his casting during Saturday’s Marvel panel.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 26 July 2026
  • On the side of the highway, the night is a cacophony of blaring horns and the shouts of drunken men.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
Definition of shouts
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
Definition of snorts
Noun
  • Turay’s glassy guitar licks have a Metheny-ish tint to them, while Bemis opts to ride quick, slinky rhythms rather than abusing his crash cymbal.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
  • The championship match turned into a free-for-all with everyone trying to get their licks in before the official woke out of his slumber.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of licks
Noun
  • Two soldiers who initially seemed kind took her into the jungle, held her at gunpoint and raped her while holding her mouth shut to stifle her screams.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • Bernthal screams, pointing down at the vomit (which is thankfully off-screen for the rest of us).
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 July 2026
Definition of screams
Verb
  • At night, the coyote howls echo through the development keeping residents awake.
    — N. Kirkpatrick, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2026
  • This is the sort of pure 1980s batshit monologue that prompts both oh-my-Lord gasps and howls of laughter, and Neill nails the whole thing.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2026
Definition of howls
Verb
  • That's what happens when your star insults moviegoers or goes off on tangents about the characters's sexuality.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
  • Ohm quickly insults nearly every employee at this small hotel within moments of meeting them, except for the young, pretty bartender, Fiona (Florence Ordesh).
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026
Definition of insults
Noun
  • Martin was then immediately handcuffed and arrested as the little girl’s cries were heard from inside the car.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The cries of seagulls, water lapping against the boat, the rumble of engines and the arrival of speedboats ferrying cast and crew give the sense of sharing the actors’ long waits on the open water.
    — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
Definition of cries
Noun
  • Fox stayed with the shot of Trump for just a few seconds before cutting to an aerial shot during which the boos can still be heard.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 19 July 2026
  • As the two men walked out onto the field, boos could be heard coming from the crowd.
    — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 19 July 2026
Definition of boos

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Cite this Entry

“Hoots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hoots. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of hoots for Spanish Speakers

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