shoo
Americaninterjection
verb (used with object)
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to drive away by saying or shouting “shoo.”
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to request or force (a person) to leave.
I'll have to shoo you out of here now.
verb (used without object)
interjection
verb
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(tr) to drive away by or as if by crying "shoo."
-
(intr) to cry "shoo."
Etymology
Origin of shoo
1475–85; earlier showe, shough, shooh, ssou (interjection), imitative; compare German schu
Vocabulary lists containing shoo
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 some cases, residents have tried to shoo away dogs from feeding spots to discourage people from providing them food.
From BBC • Sep. 2, 2025
Most people are inclined to shoo flies away from food, and the thought of maggots in your bins is enough to make anyone's stomach turn.
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2025
The second is a prevailing east-to-west wind pattern that serves to shoo angry storms out to sea before they can collide with the mainland.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2023
The clip pans across a crowd of revelers at a park, many of whom are vigorously waving hats, blankets and other personal items to try and shoo away the teeny pests.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 21, 2023
As soon as they were in it, dogs were barking and an old woman was running toward them flapping her hands at them, as though they were hens she could shoo away.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
