whoop

[hoop, hoo p; especially for 1, 3, 4, 6–12 hwoop, hwoo p, woop, woo p]

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noun

a loud cry or shout, as of excitement or joy.

the sound made by a person suffering from whooping cough.

verb (used without object)

to utter a loud cry or shout in expressing enthusiasm, excitement, etc.

to cry as an owl, crane, or certain other birds.

to make the characteristic sound accompanying the deep intake of air following a series of coughs in whooping cough.

verb (used with object)

to utter with or as if with a whoop.

to whoop to or at.

to call, urge, pursue, or drive with whoops: to whoop dogs on.

interjection

(used as a cry to attract attention from afar, or to show excitement, encouragement, enthusiasm, etc.)

Verb Phrases

whoop up, Informal. to promote or praise; extol: a class reunion where they whoop up the good old days.

Nearby words

Idioms

not worth a whoop, Informal. to be worthless: Their promises aren't worth a whoop.

whoop it up, Informal.

to raise a disturbance, as to celebrate noisily: They whooped it up after winning the big game.
to stir up enthusiasm, as for an idea or project: Every spring they whoop it up for the circus.

Origin of whoop

1350–1400; Middle English whopen, Old English hwōpan to threaten; cognate with Gothic hwopan to boast

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for whoop

In a spontaneous act of call and response, we all whoop and start clapping back, united by euphoria.
Subway Euphoria|Jessi Klein|November 5, 2008|DAILY BEAST
For every whoop of the Hurons, the Iroquois give an angry yell of defiance.
Harper's Young People, July 6, 1880|Various
They shall return to England with the whoop of the mountains in them and ready to jump out.
Lord Ormont and his Aminta, Complete|George Meredith
I 'lowed ye hed ther power ter shout fer me when ye war ready, I wasn't more'n a whoop an' a holler distant.
When 'Bear Cat' Went Dry|Charles Neville Buck

Bud gave a whoop of excitement and everyone crowded around the radarscope.
Tom Swift and the Electronic Hydrolung|Victor Appleton
She opened it in a whoop of joy and catching up her skirts ran to smother Bob in a great hug.
The Black Buccaneer|Stephen W. Meader

British Dictionary definitions for whoop

whoop

verb

to utter (speech) with loud cries, as of enthusiasm or excitement

med to cough convulsively with a crowing sound made at each inspiration

(of certain birds) to utter (a hooting cry)

(tr) to urge on or call with or as if with whoops

whoop it up (wʊp, wuːp) informal

to indulge in a noisy celebration
USto arouse enthusiasm

noun

a loud cry, esp one expressing enthusiasm or excitement

med the convulsive crowing sound made during a paroxysm of whooping cough

not worth a whoop informal worthless

Word Origin for whoop

C14: of imitative origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for whoop

whoop

mid-14c., houpen, partly imitative, partly from Old French houper "to cry out," also imitative. It is attested as an interjection from at least mid-15c. The noun is recorded from c.1600. Extended form whoopee is attested from 1845, originally American English; whoopee cushion is attested from 1960. Phrase whoop it up "create a disturbance" is recorded from 1884. Expression whoop-de-do is recorded from 1929. Whooping cough (1739) is now the prevalent spelling of hooping cough; whooping crane is recorded from 1791.

Medicine definitions for whoop

whoop

[hōōp, wōōp]

n.

The paroxysmal gasp characteristic of whooping cough.

whoop

noun

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

interjection

Verb Phrases

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of whoop

Examples from the Web for whoop

whoop

verb

noun

Word Origin for whoop

whoop

whoop

n.