What does hooting mean?
Hooting means making a loud, hollow cry, most famously the sound of an owl, and it can also describe people jeering, mocking, or expressing noisy disapproval. The word often suggests a sharp, dismissive reaction rather than ordinary laughter, as in a crowd hooting a speaker or performer. In British and American English, hooting is used both literally, for the cries of owls, and figuratively, for vocal ridicule. The gerund form is common in expressions such as “hooting and jeering,” and it can refer to the noisy reaction itself: “The room filled with hooting.” Because hooting conveys both sound and attitude, it is especially useful when describing public derision, theatrical disapproval, or the sudden call of an owl in the night.
To make a loud, hollow cry, especially as an owl does; to jeer or mock loudly.
"The owl hooted from the old oak tree."
The figurative sense describes loud, conspicuous ridicule or disapproval.
The act of making a hooting sound, especially a noisy expression of ridicule or disapproval.
"The announcement was met with jeers and hooting."
This is the gerund noun formed from the verb hoot.
A single hoot can sound like an owl’s call, a crowd’s roar of derision, or the unmistakable sound of embarrassment in a theatre.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hooting come from?
The word derives from the Old English hoot, an owl’s cry, and probably imitates the sound itself. The verb developed from that sound-based noun and acquired the figurative meaning of jeering or deriding. Hooting preserves the modern present-participle form of the verb, while hooter is a later derivative associated with a device that produces a hooting sound.
Related word forms
How hooting is actually used
The word is strongly associated with a sharp, mocking cry. It can be formal or informal, but figurative uses often imply public ridicule or noisy disapproval.
Easily confused with hooting
Hooting is making a loud cry or expressing derision, whereas honing means sharpening a skill or tool.