What does "boo" mean?
A derisive shout of the word 'boo' made to indicate disapproval.
Boo
/buː/ intj, name, noun, verb, slang
intj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A derisive shout of the word 'boo' made to indicate disapproval.
- Grammar: boo is listed as intj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: bah, barrack, barracks, bazoo.
- Useful contrasts: cheering shout, green retrofit, spiffy.
- Usage evidence: Studying cows, pigs and chickens can help an actor develop his character. There are a lot of things I learned from animals. One was that they couldn't hiss or boo me.
How to use "boo"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "boo" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "boo" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "boo" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "boo" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "boo" is acting as intj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bah" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "boo", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A derisive shout of the word 'boo' made to indicate disapproval.
"...Hodgson headed down the tunnel with the boos of fans ringing in his ears after an eighth league defeat of the season..."
- 2 A close acquaintance or significant other. Canada, US, slang
"A tall, hooded young woman, clutching a newspaper article, delivered a note to the judge. “My name is Sunkist,” she wrote, “Lionel R. Harris is my boyfriend. Lewis shot my Boo and it was not self-defense . . . . Judge and jurors please listen to me I am 17 years of {age} and a good young lady and my Boo got killed for nothing.”"
- 3 Cannabis. slang, uncountable
"[…] sexually promiscuous girl who smoked boo all day and socialized with junkies when she wasn't busy banging away in bed […]"
- 4 A tail feather from an ostrich.
"Burglary.—On Monday night or early on Tuesday morning, some thieves effected an entrance into the premises of Mr. W. J. Laybourne, ostrich feather manufacturer, 60, St. John-street, West Smithfield, and carried off 1,000 prime white feathers, 500 long single black, 800 double ditto, 3,000 mixed colours, 500 spadones, 300 white plumes, 300 coloured boos, and 400 long white light feminas, which, with other property, were valued at about £4,000."
- 5 a cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt wordnet
Verb
- 1 To shout extended boos derisively. intransitive
"When he took the podium, the crowd booed."
- 2 To make a sound characteristic of cattle; to moo. Northern-England, archaic, intransitive
"The cow's tether is put about the neck of the individual who has lost the cow, and he must go about booing like a cow till atonement is made."
- 3 show displeasure, as after a performance or speech wordnet
- 4 To shout extended boos at, as a form of disapproval or derision. transitive
"The protesters loudly booed the visiting senator."
Intj
- 1 A loud exclamation intended to scare someone. Usually used when one has been hidden from the target, and then appears unexpectedly.
- 2 An exclamation used by a member of an audience, as at a stage play or sporting event, to indicate derision or disapproval.
"I ask them to record their votes in my favour, and I ask, is there any man who will dare to call me a stranger (hear, hear, and booing)?"
Proper Noun
- 1 A community in Nacka, Stockholm, central Sweden.
- 2 The Boko language.
Antonyms
Example
"Studying cows, pigs and chickens can help an actor develop his character. There are a lot of things I learned from animals. One was that they couldn't hiss or boo me."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "boo"?
Common synonyms include: bah, barrack, barracks, bazoo, bird, bird.
How do you use "boo" in a sentence?
Studying cows, pigs and chickens can help an actor develop his character. There are a lot of things I learned from animals. One was that they couldn't hiss or boo me.
How do you pronounce "boo"?
Pronounced /buː/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From earlier (15c.) boh, coined to create a loud and startling sound. Compare Middle English bus! (“bang!”, interjection), Latin boō (“cry aloud, roar, shout”, verb), Ancient Greek βοάω (boáō, “shout”, verb).
Etymology 2
From beau, from French beau. First appears c. 1988 in the Washington Post: See the cite below.
Etymology 3
Of unknown origin, possibly from boojum, from a fancied resemblance of the plants. First appears c. 1959 in Esquire Magazine.
Etymology 4
Likely onomatopoeic.
Etymology 5
Dubious; perhaps adaptation of French beau (“beautiful”).
Etymology 6
From Swedish Boo.