What does hallooing mean?
Hallooing is the present participle of halloo, meaning to cry out loudly in order to attract attention, greet someone, or express excitement. It also refers to the traditional call made by hunters and foxhounds when quarry has been sighted or a trail is found. In ordinary modern English, the word has a literary, old-fashioned, or ceremonial tone and may suggest a shout full of excitement, warning, or triumph. It can be used in dramatic narration, historical writing, and descriptions of a hunt, where a plain word such as “shouting” might be less suggestive. Hallooing is related to variants such as hallo, holla, and hollo, all reflecting an older call meaning roughly “ho there!” Although less common than everyday alternatives like shouting, calling, or hollering, it is useful because it preserves both the sound and the social atmosphere of a loud public summons. Its best-known traditional sense is the hunting cry, an evocative survival that gives the word a distinctly rural and historical character.
verb (present participle)Hallooing means crying out loudly, typically to attract someone's attention, greet someone, or express excitement. It also refers to the traditional cry used by hunters to signal that game has been sighted or to encourage pursuit.
- Shouting or calling out to attract attention, greet someone, or express excitement.
- Giving the traditional cry used in hunting to signal sighted game or encourage hounds during pursuit.
"From the ridge, the riders kept hallooing to guide the hounds toward the fleeing fox."
"Hallooing across the courtyard, the herald announced the arrival of the king."
"The huntsman began hallooing as the hounds closed in on the stag."
Once a signal on the hunting trail, hallooing survives as a shout with all the drama of the chase built into it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hallooing come from?
Hallooing is the present participle of halloo, which entered English during the early modern period from the French exclamation holà, used to hail someone or call attention. The expression combined an emphatic ho with là, meaning “there.” The closely related English forms hallo, holla, and hollo reflect the same borrowed call, while variants of holà remain in several European languages.
Related word forms
How hallooing is actually used
In modern English, hallooing is literary, old-fashioned, or ceremonial in tone. Its traditional hunting sense is especially evocative, while its general use may sound theatrical or deliberately archaic.
Easily confused with hallooing
Both can mean shouting loudly, but hallooing often suggests a traditional call, greeting, or cry of excitement, whereas hollering more commonly describes a prolonged or forceful shout.