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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hoots
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
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
-
Juvenile bliss had long contoured this abrasive band, whose songs rattled like playgrounds, and whose shouts rang like the peals of petulant children.—
Samuel Hyland,
Pitchfork,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The initiative, introduced in 2022, is designed to help youth footballers enjoy their matches without distracting shouts from the sidelines, whether by coaches or parents.—
Laura Williamson,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 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 silence has transformed into screams.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
-
In fact, there were many loud screams in the theater and the smashes seemed plenty.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Karen howls in a video Kaley posted to Instagram as a teenager.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
-
At night, the desert comes alive with coyote howls, prowling skunks and the possibility of larger cats or black bears nearby.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There are cries from activists to set Wikie and Keijo free, but they were born in captivity and lack the skills necessary to survive.—
Valerie Greene,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
-
When do the cries of frustrated teachers and tens of thousands of children going without school instruction amount to a state crisis?—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
She was known to sneak butter from the fridge to enjoy a few finger licks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Miami got some good licks on Mendoza, bloodying his lip early on a shot from Jakobe Thomas that probably could have drawn a flag for targeting.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Without missing a beat, Wintour moved straight past the question and began introducing the nominees, a response that drew laughs from the audience and echoed the famously blunt demeanor associated with the fictional fashion editor Miranda Priestly.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
And yes, because we are blessed with famous weather, whole neighborhoods and districts can risk spilling out into the sidewalks, where laughs get louder, music gets blasted and the street fashion becomes a runway.—
Elisa Wouk Almino
Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 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 22 Mar. 2026.
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