boo
1 Americaninterjection
noun
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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.
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.
They grads are also primed to boo any speakers who so much as mutter the words “artificial intelligence.”
From Slate • May 20, 2026
Nowhere else do people boo like they do there.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
Because more than 75,000 of them came to cheer the local team and boo the visiting one, no matter who was wearing that bright pink uniform.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
Why do we boo in the first place?
From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026
At the Home after grace was said we weren’t allowed to say boo.
From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis
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.
