What does boohoo mean?
"Boohoo" is an informal English expression that imitates the sound of loud, convulsive sobbing. It appears most often as an exclamation — either playfully representing a child's crying or, more pointedly, mocking someone whose distress seems exaggerated or self-pitying, as in a sarcastic "boohoo" offered in response to complaints. The word also functions as a noun denoting an outburst of noisy weeping and as a verb meaning to cry ostentatiously. Its origins lie in sound symbolism: like "boo," it simply echoes the noise itself rather than deriving from another language, with English usage attested by the early seventeenth century. Because of its theatrical quality, boohoo almost always signals informality and condescension; it belongs to everyday speech and humor rather than formal writing. Writers use it to deflate melodrama, while parents and cartoonists deploy it affectionately to depict genuine childhood tears.
Used to represent or mimic loud sobbing, especially in a way that mocks exaggerated grief or self-pity.
""Oh boohoo," he said, "not everything goes your way.""
As a retort, it is dismissive and can be perceived as unkind.
A bout of loud, often exaggerated or insincere crying.
"She had herself a proper boohoo after reading the rejection letter."
Often used with playful or ironic intent; commonly spelled boo-hoo.
To weep noisily and conspicuously.
"The losing team's fans boohooed all the way home."
Informal; inflections include boohooed and boohooing.
The plural is uncommon but standard for countable instances of crying.
"The nursery echoed with the boohoos of children who had dropped their ice creams."
Boohoo isn't just baby talk — writers have used this mocking cry of fake tears for centuries to puncture anyone being melodramatic.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of boohoo
"Boohoo" is an onomatopoeic formation, coined in imitation of the sound of loud sobbing rather than borrowed from any other language. It has been part of English since at least the early seventeenth century, appearing in early modern writing as a representation of wailing. Its reduplicated structure links it to other imitative exclamations such as "boo." It should not be confused with the modern fashion brand Boohoo, which adopted the name much later.
Related word forms
How boohoo is actually used
Informal and often derisive. When used toward another person's complaints ('boohoo' as a dismissive reply), it carries a mocking, sometimes cruel connotation. Frequently hyphenated as 'boo-hoo.'
Easily confused with boohoo
Boohoo is a British online fast-fashion retailer, entirely unrelated in meaning to the crying exclamation boohoo.