shout-out

American  

[shout-out] / ˈʃaʊtˌaʊt /

Or shoutout

noun

1. Informal. a quick public expression of thanks, admiration, etc..

   I’d like to give a big shout-out to my mom who’s in the audience tonight.

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Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of shout-out

First recorded in 1990–95; shout + out

Example Sentences

He kicks off each school year with a shout-out to Huerta.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

They accepted the awards from Will Ferrell and Steve Carell — and Clooney got another shout-out from Berger: “I’m just glad that Clooney doesn’t do makeup.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

She also gave a shout-out to Icelandic star Laufey - winner of best traditional pop voacal album,.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

An employee of a large software company told me she was nervous to ask her manager for a public shout-out recently.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

“And I want to give a special shout-out to Melody, who really helped us secure our victory! Let’s give her a special round of applause!”

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

Related Words

• affirm
• announce
• declare
• demonstrate
• indicate
• profess
• publish
• trumpet