whoop
Americannoun
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whoops
plural
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a loud cry or shout, as of excitement or joy.
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the sound made by a person suffering from whooping cough.
verb (used without object)
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whoops,
present (3rd person singular)
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whooped,
past participle, past
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whooping
present participle
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to utter a loud cry or shout in expressing enthusiasm, excitement, etc.
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to cry as an owl, crane, or certain other birds.
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to make the characteristic sound accompanying the deep intake of air following a series of coughs in whooping cough.
verb (used with object)
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whoops,
present (3rd person singular)
-
whooped,
past participle, past
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whooping
present participle
-
to utter with or as if with a whoop.
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to whoop to or at.
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to call, urge, pursue, or drive with whoops.
to whoop dogs on.
interjection
verb phrase
idioms
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whoop it up,
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to raise a disturbance, as to celebrate noisily.
They whooped it up after winning the big game.
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to stir up enthusiasm, as for an idea or project.
Every spring they whoop it up for the circus.
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not worth a whoop, to be worthless.
Their promises aren't worth a whoop.
verb
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to utter (speech) with loud cries, as of enthusiasm or excitement
-
med to cough convulsively with a crowing sound made at each inspiration
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(of certain birds) to utter (a hooting cry)
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(tr) to urge on or call with or as if with whoops
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informal
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to indulge in a noisy celebration
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to arouse enthusiasm
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noun
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a loud cry, esp one expressing enthusiasm or excitement
-
med the convulsive crowing sound made during a paroxysm of whooping cough
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informal worthless
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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whoopsimple
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whoopssimple
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have whoopedperfect
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has whoopedperfect
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am whoopingprogressive
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are whoopingprogressive
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is whoopingprogressive
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have been whoopingperfect progressive
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has been whoopingperfect progressive
Past
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whoopedsimple
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had whoopedperfect
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was whoopingprogressive
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were whoopingprogressive
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had been whoopingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of whoop
1350–1400; Middle English whopen, Old English hwōpan to threaten; cognate with Gothic hwopan to boast
Explanation
A whoop is a noise you make when you're celebrating something exciting. Just listen to the whoops and cheers from the crowd when your school's basketball team unexpectedly wins the championship! The joyful hooting of friends hearing your good news, the cheers of fans celebrating a bowler's strike, or the call of a cowboy urging a horse forward — these are all whoops. You can use this word as a verb too, as when you whoop with joy or laughter, or in the colloquial phrase whoop it up, meaning "have a blast." Whoop sometimes also used for the distinctive cough of someone suffering from pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
Vocabulary lists containing whoop
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:
Several years ago, on a cross-Atlantic literary festival where Shriver was an invited author, I observed a packed audience whoop and cheer Shriver’s mordant observations about everything wrong with the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
Whooping cough is named for the high-pitched whoop that can be heard as patients suck in air after coughing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2024
As the male lead entered the stage in a new production of “Romeo and Juliet” in London, a single, very loud whoop erupted from the orchestra level.
From New York Times ● May 24, 2024
The theater of Mountlake Terrace High School, the alma mater of Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone, rippled with excited whispers and the occasional whoop during Sunday night’s Oscar watch party.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2024
The game continued, with Marion letting out a little whoop every time Harold scored, and her father nodding in approval when Jackie returned the favor.
From "The Parker Inheritance" by Varian Johnson
As lightning continued to flash on the horizon, the public address system came alive to say "Test 1, 2, 3," leading to whoops among the crowd, hoping it was a sign of an imminent reopening.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
There were shrieks of relief and whoops of disbelief, tears and fireworks and renditions of “Empire State of Mind” and “New York, New York.”
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
It’s just a vibe, a debate, a never-ending conversation amongst friends, and whoops, there go your ears, sorry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
The result was greeted by whoops and cheers, with Polanski promising in his victory speech to "work every single day to grow this party" and paying tribute to his defeated rivals.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2025
They utter a bunch of howls and whoops when the announcer says their name.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
In the second set, the Montreal crowd whooped as Draper executed a powerful cross-court forehand on course to a dominant 6-2 set win.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
When Verdugo appointed himself mayor, the audience whooped and clapped.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Audience members clapped and sang along to “Thriller” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” and whooped every time Michael — played with admittedly impressive accuracy by Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar — hit a spin or kick.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
Norris whooped with delight over the team radio as he was told the title was won, and said: "Next year's going to be my year, too."
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2024
Jello’s windy voice barked out and, like the beat of drums, the five pups whooped and yipped.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
The flu and whooping cough vaccines are also recommended during pregnancy.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
Around the same time, the committee also met to review an exemption application related to water management at the Grayrocks Dam in Wyoming and its effects on endangered whooping cranes downstream in Nebraska.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2026
In the mornings, Christine eagerly awaits the brightly colored, highly vocal birds swooping into their garden, whooping their greetings before flying off into the junglelike foliage.
From Slate ● Mar. 30, 2026
It’s not too late to save the whooping crane, the red-cockaded woodpecker, the piping plover or any of the other 86 birds on the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
I was so pleased I whooped like a possum hunter whooping to his dog.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
