shout
Americanverb (used without object)
-
shouts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shouted,
past participle, past
-
shouting
present participle
-
to call or cry out loudly and vigorously.
- Synonyms:
- exclaim, vociferate, yell
- Antonyms:
- whisper
-
to speak or laugh noisily or unrestrainedly.
verb (used with object)
-
shouts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
shouted,
past participle, past
-
shouting
present participle
-
to utter or yell (something) loudly.
-
Australian. to treat (another) to a drink, meal, amusement, or the like.
noun
-
shouts
plural
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a loud call or cry.
He gave a shout for help.
-
a sudden loud outburst, as of laughter.
-
the act of calling or crying out loudly.
noun
-
a loud cry, esp to convey emotion or a command
-
informal
-
a round, esp of drinks
-
one's turn to buy a round of drinks
-
-
informal a greeting (to family, friends, etc) sent to a radio station for broadcasting
-
informal an occasion on which the members of an emergency service are called out on duty
verb
-
to utter (something) in a loud cry; yell
-
(intr) to make a loud noise
-
informal (tr) to treat (someone) to (something), esp a drink
Synonym Usage
See cry.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
shoutsimple
-
shoutssimple
-
have shoutedperfect
-
has shoutedperfect
-
am shoutingprogressive
-
are shoutingprogressive
-
is shoutingprogressive
-
have been shoutingperfect progressive
-
has been shoutingperfect progressive
Past
-
shoutedsimple
-
had shoutedperfect
-
was shoutingprogressive
-
were shoutingprogressive
-
had been shoutingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shout
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English shoute (noun), shouten (verb); compare Old Norse skūta “to scold, chide,” skūti, skūta “a taunt”
Explanation
When you shout, you speak or call out loudly. If you get trapped in the coat closet during a game of hide-and-seek, just shout for help — you'll be set free, but you'll also be "it." Sometimes people shout simply because they have a booming speaking voice; you might hold your phone far from your ear when you call your grandma, who tends to shout. You can also shout in anger or fear or even joy: "My cousin jumped up with a happy shout when I surprised him at his birthday party." Experts disagree on the origin of shout, but some guess it's connected to shoot, as in "throw the voice out loudly."
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:
Passenger on British Airways mayday flight describes fear and shout of 'I don't want to die'
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
They heard a shout and initially thought someone had died but then saw the smoke.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
At one point Kim pulled out a Polaroid camera, asking students to make USC’s victory sign and shout together, “Fight on!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
If reading this makes you want to shout “denier,” this column is for you.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
“My father’s a better man than you,” I shout.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
In shouts and whispers alike, she made sure people felt valued.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
Daniela Largo, 32, was pulled from the debris on Tuesday in the city of Pereira to shouts of joy and applause, becoming a symbol of hope for a nation reeling from Monday's disaster.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Whatever was going on, nobody responded to Alcaraz’s desperate pleas for help and the shouts of the other inmates.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
"Leave now!" shouts an understandably irritable officer as he drives past.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
“Do you know how loud it is in here?” shouts Mrs. Krajewska over the music.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
He dropped to his knees, then sprang up, punched his fist into the air and shouted: "We have done it."
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Whilst firefighters shouted for everybody to run away, Berriff said he "stayed there, looking through the small viewfinder on my camera to see 250,000 tonnes of metal and girders hurtling towards me".
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
On Thursday they shouted "I am Fidel" and applauded throughout the performances and speeches.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
“A friend texted me that Anthony Jeselnik, a comedian whom I loved — but had never met nor interacted with — shouted out his love of my memoir, ‘Dirtbag, Massachusetts,’ on his podcast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
When I pulled up the snow anchor, straddled the runners, and shouted "Hike!"
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
During Friday's conference, a protestor was escorted out after jumping on stage and shouting, while wearing a t-shirt that said "kids deserve better."
From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026
Even after Benn had left, Garcia remained on stage - flexing, shouting and playing to the crowd.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
His boundary was simple: “As long as no one is shouting in the middle of the points and stuff, I think it’s great.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
Carson Daly shouting to be heard over an audience of excited adolescents.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
A male voice shouting, ‘No! Not like that! Do this! Yes!’
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
