# yahoo

/ˈjɑˌhu/ (US) · /jˈæhuː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/yahoo
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 2. a rude person

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal · Literary

a person who is very loud, rude, or lacks good manners.

For teachers: a crude, coarse, or uncouth individual; originally a member of a race of brutes in Swift's Gulliver's Travels.

- Some yahoo in a sports car nearly ran me off the road this morning.
- The quiet evening was ruined by a group of yahoos shouting outside the window and knocking over rubbish bins.

Teaching tip: While the literary origin is specific, in modern speech it is a general, slightly old-fashioned insult for a loud or uneducated person.

### 3. to shout joyfully

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal

to shout the word 'yahoo' because you are happy.

For teachers: to utter a loud cry of 'yahoo' in excitement or celebration.

- The fans were yahooing in the stands after the home team scored.
- He spent the afternoon yahooing and cheering as he tested his new jet ski on the lake.

Usage: Intransitive verb; describes the act of making the sound.

## Examples

- Some yahoo was shouting in the street all night.
- The quiet gallery was suddenly filled with a group of yahoos who had no respect for the art.
- The editorial dismissed the protesters as a pack of unthinking yahoos, ignoring the legitimate economic grievances that had driven them to the capital.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.