noun
verb
Other Word Forms
- catcaller noun
Etymology
Origin of catcall
First recorded in 1650–60; cat ( def. ) + call
Explanation
Boooo! Hisss! Come on ref! Are you blind?! Those are just a few family-friendly catcalls, or rowdy cries of disapproval. Next time you're stuck watching a terrible movie, don't throw rotten tomatoes at the screen. Try a catcall instead. The impassioned taunts and disapproving shouts are already a staple at sporting events across the globe. They're also a favorite among construction workers, who like to whistle at and catcall the ladies walking by. Which, by the way, is totally inappropriate.
Vocabulary lists containing catcall
Our Town
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Flowers for Algernon
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The Magician's Nephew
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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.
“Every time I would skate, people would catcall us or yell at us to do a kickflip,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025
Men catcall her on the street; she breaks down, in one instance, and screams.
From The New Yorker • Oct. 11, 2019
While I usually give catcallers a piece of my mind, this didn’t feel like a normal catcall and it just didn’t feel appropriate to go off on him.
From Slate • Jun. 28, 2018
She has even advocated fines for men who catcall in the street.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 29, 2018
These were cynical times, but no one risked a catcall.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions 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.
