hype man
Americannoun
-
(in rap music) a supporting performer who energizes and engages the audience and punctuates the rapper’s lyrics with shouted interjections.
The show ran out of steam without a hype man to keep the crowd excited and the rapper on point.
-
an enthusiastic and vocal supporter or promoter of a person, group, or thing; booster.
His antics from the bench have made this rookie college basketball’s most recognizable hype man.
Etymology
Origin of hype man
First recorded in 2000–05
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.
In 2024, Flav signed a five-year deal as the official hype man for the U.S. men’s and women’s water polo teams that included an undisclosed financial contribution to the women’s team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
Same with Gillie Da King, who became the team’s unofficial hype man during the 2024 season.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2025
While he speaks to me from his home in Sierra Leone, a rooster crows in the background, punctuating his sentences like a barnyard hype man.
From Slate ● Mar. 26, 2025
It also displays Ramsay’s softer, more encouraging side, seen on shows like “MasterChef Junior,” where he is more paternal hype man than shrieking despot.
From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2024
Nate Radcliffe, a part-time employee and seemingly full-time hype man for the Langlois Market, is a big fan.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 3, 2023
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.
