shout
Americanverb (used without object)
-
shouts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shouted,
past participle, past
-
shouting
present participle
-
to call or cry out loudly and vigorously.
- Synonyms:
- exclaim, vociferate, yell
- Antonyms:
- whisper
-
to speak or laugh noisily or unrestrainedly.
verb (used with object)
-
shouts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shouted,
past participle, past
-
shouting
present participle
-
to utter or yell (something) loudly.
-
Australian. to treat (another) to a drink, meal, amusement, or the like.
noun
-
shouts
plural
-
a loud call or cry.
He gave a shout for help.
-
a sudden loud outburst, as of laughter.
-
the act of calling or crying out loudly.
noun
-
a loud cry, esp to convey emotion or a command
-
informal
-
a round, esp of drinks
-
one's turn to buy a round of drinks
-
-
informal a greeting (to family, friends, etc) sent to a radio station for broadcasting
-
informal an occasion on which the members of an emergency service are called out on duty
verb
-
to utter (something) in a loud cry; yell
-
(intr) to make a loud noise
-
informal (tr) to treat (someone) to (something), esp a drink
Synonym Usage
See cry.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
shoutsimple
-
shoutssimple
-
have shoutedperfect
-
has shoutedperfect
-
am shoutingprogressive
-
are shoutingprogressive
-
is shoutingprogressive
-
have been shoutingperfect progressive
-
has been shoutingperfect progressive
Past
-
shoutedsimple
-
had shoutedperfect
-
was shoutingprogressive
-
were shoutingprogressive
-
had been shoutingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shout
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English shoute (noun), shouten (verb); compare Old Norse skūta “to scold, chide,” skūti, skūta “a taunt”
Explanation
When you shout, you speak or call out loudly. If you get trapped in the coat closet during a game of hide-and-seek, just shout for help — you'll be set free, but you'll also be "it." Sometimes people shout simply because they have a booming speaking voice; you might hold your phone far from your ear when you call your grandma, who tends to shout. You can also shout in anger or fear or even joy: "My cousin jumped up with a happy shout when I surprised him at his birthday party." Experts disagree on the origin of shout, but some guess it's connected to shoot, as in "throw the voice out loudly."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Go West, fellow investor!” they shout, as they short California and buy the East.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
As he neared the edge of the village, Stupnikov heard a shout from one of the two-story homes on the street, which served as a brigade observation post.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
When Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared at the vigil, the protesters began to shout at him:
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
Had the Proteas reviewed an lbw shout on the 15th ball he faced, the umpire's decision of not out would have been overturned.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
These relics were set aside, and the digging resumed with the shout, “Great God! Here are the pieces of a broken bowl!”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
![]()
“Beloved daughters of God!” she shouts, her Texas twang chicken-frying each word.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
"Get down, I say get down," he shouts.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
“Hands up, Winston!” someone shouts in a YouTube video of the fight.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
In shouts and whispers alike, she made sure people felt valued.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
But before terror could take full hold of him again, he heard shouts from above, where the others had completed the climb.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
![]()
Debotte told the court she shouted "bike" three times, but Richardson made no attempt to slow down or brake before the Volvo smashed into the left side of the cyclist.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Outside the university auditorium, where Machado fielded questions, hundreds of cheering students sang the national anthem and shouted “freedom.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
"Maria, if you come back, my daughter has to come back!" a supporter shouted at her on Sunday, referring to one of the millions of Venezuelans who have fled repression and a moribund economy.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026
"Enough. We can no longer breathe," shouted marchers in the crowds, which were composed mainly of journalists, rights groups and opposition party representatives.
From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026
Handsome was readying himself to step onto the rock where Major Puff presently stood when suddenly the puffin boldly shouted, “Finally, a real battle! Take that!” while hopping backward away from Handsome.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
![]()
From politicians shouting from a podium, to passing cars with turned-up radios, to kids screaming at their teachers and sometimes their parents—these noises seem increasingly common.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
The disruption lasted about a minute in total, during which the person, who could not be heard well over the livestream, continued shouting.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026
Around 4 p.m., a search party heard shouting in the Cascade Gulch area, about 1,000 feet from the McBride Springs Trail.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
With that, after just 15 minutes, Zacharia declared the briefing finished and walked out, pursued by the sound of reporters shouting unanswered questions.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
A male voice shouting, ‘No! Not like that! Do this! Yes!’
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
![]()
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.