What does "hoot" mean?
A derisive cry or shout.
Hoot
/huːt/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A derisive cry or shout.
- Grammar: hoot is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: boo, a continental, a curse, a damn.
- Useful contrasts: applaud, bore, muffle.
- Usage evidence: I don't give a hoot what you think.
How to use "hoot"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hoot" 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 "hoot" 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 "hoot" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hoot" 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 "hoot" is acting as 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 "boo" 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 "hoot", 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 cry or shout.
"My performance drew hoots of derision from the crowd."
- 2 Money, especially in the form of cash given as payment. New-Zealand, slang, uncountable
"On the construction you could make a pot of hoot in no time. You oughter be able to get two or three quid a day when things is busy."
- 3 something of little value wordnet
- 4 The cry of an owl.
"I heard the hoot of an owl."
- 5 a loud raucous cry (as of an owl) wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A fun event or person. slang
"The party at the weekend was such a hoot! Thanks for the invite."
- 7 a cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt wordnet
- 8 A small particle; a whit or jot.
"We don't care a hoot about what you think."
Verb
- 1 To cry out or shout in contempt.
"Matrons and girls shall hoot at thee no more,"
- 2 to utter a loud clamorous shout wordnet
- 3 To make a hoo, the cry of an owl.
"The clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders / At our quaint spirits."
- 4 utter the characteristic sound of owls wordnet
- 5 To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts; to follow with derisive shouts.
"Mary felt extremely offended when the workers hooted at her."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To sound the horn of a vehicle.
"When you arrive to pick me up, hoot, and I'll come outside."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I don't give a hoot what you think."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hoot"?
Common synonyms include: boo, a continental, a curse, a damn, a darn, a hoot.
How do you use "hoot" in a sentence?
I don't give a hoot what you think.
How do you pronounce "hoot"?
Pronounced /huːt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English houten, huten, hoten, of North Germanic origin, from or related to Old Swedish huta (“to cast out in contempt”), related to Middle High German hiuzen, hūzen (“to call to pursuit”), Swedish hut! (“begone!”, interjection), Dutch hui (“ho, hallo”), Danish huj (“ho, hallo”).
Etymology 2
A variant of utu (influenced by etymology 1), borrowed from Māori utu (“payment, revenge, payback”).