holler
1 Americanverb (used without object)
-
hollers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hollered,
past participle, past
-
hollering
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
hollers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hollered,
past participle, past
-
hollering
present participle
noun
noun
verb
noun
Usage
What else does holler mean? To holler is "to shout," extended to "say hello" or "hit on" in Black English. In Appalachian English, a holler refers to a "hollow," or mountain valley.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
hollersimple
-
hollerssimple
-
have holleredperfect
-
has holleredperfect
-
am holleringprogressive
-
are holleringprogressive
-
is holleringprogressive
-
have been holleringperfect progressive
-
has been holleringperfect progressive
Past
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holleredsimple
-
had holleredperfect
-
was holleringprogressive
-
were holleringprogressive
-
had been holleringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of holler1
1690–1700, variant of holla ( see hallo)
Origin of holler2
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45
Explanation
When you holler, you yell a little too loudly and abruptly. A kid stuck in a tree might holler for help until someone shows up to help him climb down. Holler is an informal verb, useful for those times you call out or shout. Your teacher might holler at the class if she gets angry enough, and you might holler at your sister to get out of your room at least once a day. A holler can also be a dip or depression in the land, a hollow. The word dates from the 17th century, a colloquial form of hollo, a variation on hello.
Vocabulary lists containing holler
Instead of "Said": Words That Sound Like What They Mean
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"The People Could Fly," Vocabulary from the folk tale
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"The People Could Fly" by Virginia Hamilton
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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.
See Examples For:
She calls cows to breakfast with a holler, extemporizes on the Bible in full paragraphs and keeps a collection of high-vibration crystals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Fast forward to the semiquincentennial and Americans holler versions of that slogan through windows in real life, just on phones and computers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
"But the kid inside of you wants to break out and just hoot and holler."
From Barron's ● Apr. 4, 2026
During Idioteque, guitarist Ed O'Brien catches him mid-transit, and they holler the lyrics directly to one another.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
I read it with a flashlight under the covers so Momma wouldn’t holler.
From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake
Field hollers, blues, ballads, spirituals, game songs, cowboy songs: these are among folk music’s many familiar forms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
The audience in Dallas — the city where the comedian began her stand-up career and later set her self-titled network sitcom — hoots and hollers in response.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2025
But us football fans must recognize that not everyone hoots and hollers for the conversion on a long third down or a legendary pick six.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2025
There were heartening hollers, dramatic dashes when chances were created and applause for the application of her players throughout.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2025
We could hear the whoops and hollers and splashing as soon as we walked up the driveway to a wrought iron gate standing ajar as if it were personally saying, Come on in.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
“I’m going to watch,” he hollered that day, “just like all of you.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2026
Eight men sliding 16 stones down an ice sheet to the soundtrack of clunking granite, furious sweeping and hollered commands of "hard" and "curl".
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
He hollered, “Where’s Creighton?” and, moments later, shook hands with lead prosecutor Creighton Waters as he entered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
Todd whooped and hollered, in no small part because he had bet a Dodgers employee that his buddy would go deep.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2025
“Come by when you’re on break,” Lucy hollered at Maggie when she turned to leave, to which Maggie responded with a “Hawa.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The cohort of mostly 70-something players in the dugout rejoiced, waving their caps and hollering.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Last year, “The Minecraft Movie” had children hollering in theaters but few stakes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
Fans dressed in approximations of her floaty ballgowns and 1920s flapper dresses, hollering lyrics like mantras.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
Or perhaps whatever producer was hollering into her earpiece wouldn’t be denied.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025
John shouted back, but Pa headed into the field, hollering and waving a coiled rope to scare the cattle east.
From "Worth" by A. LaFaye
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.
