boo
1 Americaninterjection
noun
-
boos
plural
verb (used without object)
-
boos,
present (3rd person singular)
-
booed,
past participle, past
-
booing
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
boos,
present (3rd person singular)
-
booed,
past participle, past
-
booing
present participle
noun
noun
interjection
-
an exclamation uttered to startle or surprise someone, esp a child
-
a shout uttered to express disgust, dissatisfaction, or contempt, esp at a theatrical production, political meeting, etc
-
is extremely timid or diffident
verb
Usage
What else does boo mean? Boo is the sound we pretend ghosts make as well as a sound we make when we really don’t like something. Boo is also an affectionate term for one's significant other, similar to bae.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
boosimple
-
boossimple
-
have booedperfect
-
has booedperfect
-
am booingprogressive
-
are booingprogressive
-
is booingprogressive
-
have been booingperfect progressive
-
has been booingperfect progressive
Past
-
booedsimple
-
had booedperfect
-
was booingprogressive
-
were booingprogressive
-
had been booingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of boo1
First recorded in 1630–40; expressive formation
Origin of boo2
First recorded in 1955–60; of uncertain origin
Origin of boo3
1985–90; of uncertain origin; possibly an alteration of French beau “boyfriend, admirer”
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:
“I really do feel bad,” she said, and not a boo could be heard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
“How you feel, boo? Are you crying?” she asks in the video.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
“An enchanted hideaway in a coveted location with inviting outdoor retreats and peek a boo views to Downtown Los Angeles create an idyllic setting,” the listing added.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Perhaps the organizers thought the crowd wouldn’t dare boo during a patriotic hymn.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
They could laugh at her, shout at her to get off the stage, or boo her into tears.
From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Days before, he delivered a characteristically crude address that singled out CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins in front of a hostile crowd, eliciting angry boos and vicious chants.
From Salon ● Oct. 6, 2026
However, footage of the victory ceremony afterwards showed ceremonial officials struggling to raise South Korea's flag on the flagpole, sparking boos from Korean fans.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
The boos started late in the first half, with the Packers trailing 17-7, and got louder and more frequent as the game — and the team’s woes — continued.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
More than 100,000 Texas fans had spent the second half showering the home team with boos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
A few boos go up before everyone resumes being impatient about the train not moving.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
In the aftermath of the article, demonstrators from both sides of the issue gathered outside of Fever games, while Cunningham sometimes was booed in by opposing crowds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
His supporters in the audience booed at the rest of the council.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
It followed Littler also being booed during his win against home favourite Danny Noppert on Friday.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
He said his friend booed people as they cut past them.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
The crowd booed when Annie gave him the ball and walked slowly back to her seat.
From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman
“Ted, you suck! Ted, you suck!” several hundred students chanted for nearly 10 minutes on Saturday morning, standing behind the Republican and booing as Davis attempted to conduct a one-on-one interview.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
The decision was greeted with booing by some of the sparse crowd that remained inside the ground.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Those folks might still be booing when they hear what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said saltily postgame: “Give me another option ... I can’t just say change him to low-leverage. I have to have options.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
It consists not only of college students booing AI and waddling seniors raging on Facebook against data centers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
He was standing in the dust of the fight, and as the tribe saw his intention the shrill cheer changed to a steady booing.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
