What does "whoop" mean?
A loud, eager cry, usually of joy.
Whoop
/wuːp/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A loud, eager cry, usually of joy.
- Grammar: whoop is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: ace, arouse, bark, battle cry.
- Useful contrasts: boo, dampen, jeer.
- Usage evidence: Tonight Liisa and Markku were in the mood to whoop it up.
How to use "whoop"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "whoop" 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 "whoop" 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 "whoop" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "whoop" 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 "whoop" is acting as 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 "ace" 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 "whoop", 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 loud, eager cry, usually of joy.
"Mixed with the whoop of the crane and the roar of the grim alligator."
- 2 a loud hooting cry of exultation or excitement wordnet
- 3 A gasp, characteristic of whooping cough.
- 4 A bump on a racetrack.
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Verb
- 1 To make a whoop. intransitive
"each whooping with a merry shout"
- 2 To beat, to strike. informal, transitive
- 3 cough spasmodically wordnet
- 4 To shout, to yell. transitive
"I made a speaking trumpet of my hands and commenced to whoop “Ahoy!” and “Hello!” at the top of my lungs. […] The Colonel woke up, and, after asking what in brimstone was the matter, opened his mouth and roared “Hi!” and “Hello!” like the bull of Bashan."
- 5 To defeat thoroughly. informal, transitive
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 shout, as if with joy or enthusiasm wordnet
- 7 To cough or breathe with a sonorous inspiration, as in whooping cough.
- 8 To insult with shouts; to chase with derision. obsolete, transitive
"And suffered me by the voice of slaves to be / Whooped out of Rome."
Example
"Tonight Liisa and Markku were in the mood to whoop it up."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "whoop"?
Common synonyms include: ace, arouse, bark, battle cry, bawl, beat.
How do you use "whoop" in a sentence?
Tonight Liisa and Markku were in the mood to whoop it up.
How do you pronounce "whoop"?
Pronounced /wuːp/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English whopen, whowpen, howpen, houpen (“to whoop, cry out”), partially from Old French houper, hopper, houpper (“to shout”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwōpan, from Proto-Germanic *hwōpaną (“to boast, threaten”) (compare Gothic 𐍈𐍉𐍀𐌰𐌽 (ƕōpan, “to boast”), Old English hwōpan (“to threaten”)); and partially from Middle English wop (“weeping, lamentation”), from Old English wōp (“cry, outcry, shrieking, weeping, lamentation”), from Proto-West Germanic *wōp, from Proto-Germanic *wōpaz (“shout, cry, wail”) (compare Old Norse ópa (“to cry, scream, shout”), Gothic 𐍅𐍉𐍀𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wōpjan, “to cry out”)).
Etymology 2
From a traditional African American and Southern US pronunciation of whip.