Word
hoot
US/ˈhut/
UK/hˈuːt/
Definitions
01owl sound
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. the low, deep sound that an owl makes at night.
n. the characteristic vocalization of an owl.
“We heard a loud hoot from the trees behind the house last night.”
“The rhythmic hoot of a great horned owl echoed through the valley, breaking the silence of the midnight forest.”
02funny person or thing
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. someone or something that is very funny or enjoyable.
n. a person or situation that is remarkably amusing or entertaining.
“You should meet my aunt; she is a total hoot at parties.”
“The improvised comedy show turned out to be a real hoot, exceeding the audience's expectations for the evening.”
Antonyms
03shout of dislike or laughter
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a short, loud shout that shows you are laughing or that you disagree with someone.
n. a loud, sudden cry, typically expressing derision, contempt, or boisterous celebration.
“His suggestion was met with hoots of laughter from the rest of the team.”
“The speaker's controversial statement was drowned out by hoots of derision from the protesters in the back row.”
04to make a sound
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to make the sound of an owl or to shout loudly.
v. to utter the cry of an owl or to shout in a loud, derisive, or celebratory manner.
Español:ulular
“The crowd started to hoot when the referee made a bad decision.”
“Owls began to hoot in the distance as the sun disappeared below the horizon.”
05to sound a car horn
B2 · Upper Intermediate British English
v. to use a car horn to make a loud warning sound.
v. to sound the horn of a motor vehicle.
“The driver behind me started to hoot because I was moving too slowly.”
“Impatient motorists began to hoot their horns as the traffic jam showed no signs of clearing.”
Usage
Commonly used in British English where American speakers would use 'honk'.
Etymology
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”).
A variant of utu (influenced by etymology 1), borrowed from Māori utu (“payment, revenge, payback”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. give a hoot
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/hoot
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0