shout-out

American

[shout-out] / ˈʃaʊtˌaʊt /

Or shoutout

noun

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.

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Palantir also got a shout-out from Trump on Friday, helping it to claw back some losses during a session in which investors fretted about Anthropic’s new AI model.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

It was the first laugh before we even got into the special so shout-out to your dumb friend!

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Madigan went on to give a shout-out to her fellow “Weapons” cast members Julia Garner, Josh Brolin and others.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

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

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

“Just give me my shout-out onstage and we good,” he claims.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023