shout-out
or shout·out
noun
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What does shout-out mean?
A shout-out is a short public acknowledgement of someone or something, especially by name. It’s usually to recognize someone in appreciation of them or something they did.
Shout-outs are typically given in a public setting, such as on the radio, during a live performance, or on social media.
Shout-out is informal. It’s commonly used to start a sentence that announces a shout-out, as in Shout-out to the people in the back!
Less commonly, shout-out is also used as a verb, as in Let me shout-out a few people real quick.
It’s very commonly spelled as shoutout.
Example: Thanks to your shout-out in the last post, I gained a ton of followers.
Where does shout-out come from?
The first known records of the term shout-out come from the 1990s. It’s simply a combination of shout and out—a shout-out often consists of shouting out someone’s name. The word is associated with hip-hop culture, perhaps due to the practice of DJs giving shout-outs in the club or rappers giving shout-outs in their lyrics. However, the word has achieved mainstream popularity.
When you give a shout-out to someone, it’s usually to express appreciation or thanks—or just to recognize their presence. Shout-out often refers to a namecheck, meaning it specifically names a person, as in I’d like to give a quick shout-out to Debbie, whose birthday is today! On social media, a shout-out is often an endorsement of the person and a call to support them by following them, liking their post, or something like that. But a shout-out doesn’t have to be a recognition of a named person. It can recognize an unknown person, a group of people, or even a thing. (Real quick shout-out to my homie T-saurus!)
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What are some other forms related to shout-out?
- shoutout (alternate spelling)
What are some synonyms for shout-out?
What are some words that share a root or word element with shout-out?
What are some words that often get used in discussing shout-out?
How is shout-out used in real life?
Shout-outs are almost always given in front of a public audience, whether in person or online. Shout-outs are usually positive, but not always—the word can be used in an ironic way to call something out in a critical way.
Shoutout again to the dad who stood at our show and just filmed his daughter having so much fun for 2 hours straight. Massive smile on his face, not interested in anything else. Did the same thing at the airport the next day when she got a picture. Legend.
— 🥾🌍 (@Truman_Black) March 24, 2019
Shoutout to the people giving out full sized chocolate bars. You’re making dreams come true.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) October 31, 2018
If you started school today Shoutout you man! Also how are you reading this… pay attention
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) August 14, 2017
Try using shout-out!
Is shout-out used correctly in the following sentence?
Shout-out to all the doctors and nurses who keep us healthy.