bullhorn
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of bullhorn
Compare meaning
How does bullhorn compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A bullhorn is a hand-held device that makes your voice sound much louder when you speak into it. You might address a crowd at a rally or protest by talking into a bullhorn. While in the US, most people know what a bullhorn is, in other places it's called a megaphone. Bullhorns amplify sound, sometimes simply using their cone-like shape, and in other cases using electricity. Anyone who needs to get the attention of a large or noisy group might use a bullhorn to be heard. The word may be based on the shape of a bull's horn, although experts aren't sure about its origin.
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.
Without a bullhorn or any sort of amplification, Bovino informed the crowd that they were being dispersed.
From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026
In preparation for the march, he had purchased a $20 bullhorn from Amazon and called the San Francisco Police Department to ask about a permit.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026
A few hours later, at a nightclub, Law laughs as a silver Jack Frost with a bullhorn yells to the clubbers to “Dance for Santa! Dance for Santa!”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025
Supplies in bags were passed back and forth, new batteries pressed into a bullhorn.
From Slate • Oct. 27, 2025
A few minutes before eleven, a man with a bullhorn called for all passengers to Peshawar to begin boarding.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
