shout
Americanverb (used without object)
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to call or cry out loudly and vigorously.
- Synonyms:
- exclaim, vociferate, yell
- Antonyms:
- whisper
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to speak or laugh noisily or unrestrainedly.
verb (used with object)
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to utter or yell (something) loudly.
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Australian. to treat (another) to a drink, meal, amusement, or the like.
noun
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a loud call or cry.
He gave a shout for help.
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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
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informal
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a round, esp of drinks
-
one's turn to buy a round of drinks
-
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informal a greeting (to family, friends, etc) sent to a radio station for broadcasting
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informal an occasion on which the members of an emergency service are called out on duty
verb
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to utter (something) in a loud cry; yell
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(intr) to make a loud noise
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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
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shoutsimple
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shoutssimple
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have shoutedperfect
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has shoutedperfect
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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:
"Howl like the wind, roar like the river / Wail like the rain, cry, shout, and shiver," she advises, her tawny, contralto voice instantly recognisable.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Pushing through this is definitely not easy, England stayed focussed, they stayed in the zone, a huge shout out to them because that's not an easy one.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Buc-ee’s has a legion of loyal fans, who come for the Beaver Nuggets, sparkling restrooms and the novelty of its massive stores, where workers shout when they slice up steaming brisket.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
He began to shout and call for help, and finally, he heard a response.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
The words burst from Lady Constance in much the same tone of voice that a person might use to shout “Eureka!”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
He received a hero’s welcome in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv after forging a tenuous Gaza ceasefire last October, visibly moved as he was drowned out by appreciative shouts of “Thank you, Witkoff!”
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
Yet amid the strident shouts, random rudeness and ceaseless cacophony of our current-day United States, that painting, in the quiet within those walls, offers a lesson that can seem as urgent as a breaking-news bulletin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
There are shouts, people running, embracing each other.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
That sounds strange from a veteran stand-up whose voice shouts New Yawker the minute he starts talking at volume.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
The shouts of the guards echoed up and down the long corridor.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Questions about her priorities as a mom have been whispered and shouted, so without hesitation, she answers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
"He shouted to my father from afar and learned that they are fine for now, though they are surrounded by water," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
“You can’t compare,” shouted a member of Keshet Deutschland, a Jewish queer-rights group that was also being honored.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Cuban officials said on Tuesday that most of the country had had power restored but locals shouted "turn on the lights!" in areas still in the dark.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Sadie shouted, leaping out from around the corner.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Scenes of players screaming and shouting with excitement on the official opening day for 11-man high school football practices on Monday might be hard to find.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
In the build-up to the convention, though, the Washington Post reported on some stories from Maine that had been bubbling up on social media about his temper and shouting matches with fellow lawmakers.
From Slate ● Jul. 25, 2026
Lucas Scott, a Biddeford resident, said the agents were shouting as they surrounded a white sedan.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
As Titan, Mr. Robinson often resorted to shouting; mezzo Zoie Reams was persuasive as Persephone’s sister Zipporah.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
We heard the gnomes in the distance, shouting something in their gravelly little voices.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
