hoot
/huːt/ (bre, ipa) · /huːt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhüt/ (ame, mw)
hoot — noun
- hootsingular
- hootsplural
1. a short, high-pitched sound made by a car horn, a whistle, or a person, often us
a short, high-pitched sound made by a car horn, a whistle, or a person, often used to get someone's attention or to show a strong feeling such as anger or amusement
Pablo gave two quick hoots on his car horn to let his friend know he was waiting outside.
give a hoot — make the sound with a horn
A loud hoot from the crowd made Fatima turn around to see what had happened on the field.
a hoot from [someone/something] — source of the sound
Chitra heard a sudden hoot from the engine and decided to pull over straight away.
The security guard let out a hoot of laughter when he heard the joke.
文法句型
a hoot
give a hoot
let out a hoot
常見錯誤
2. the long, low calling sound that an owl makes, especially at night
the long, low calling sound that an owl makes, especially at night
Zahra woke up when she heard the deep hoot of an owl just outside her window.
the hoot of an owl — possessive structure
The forest was quiet except for an owl's hoot echoing through the dark trees.
Emeka knew it was a barn owl because its hoot had a long, shaking sound at the end.
Every night the same hoot came from the old oak tree in the back garden.
文法句型
an owl's hoot
the hoot of an owl
用法筆記
Distinguish from the LOUD SOUND sense (noun/1): owl hoots are long and low-pitched, whereas the sound of a car horn or crowd is short and high-pitched.
常見錯誤
3. the smallest possible amount of interest or concern — used almost always in nega
the smallest possible amount of interest or concern — used almost always in negative sentences to say that someone does not care at all about something
Ibrahim does not give a hoot about what other people think of his old bicycle.
not give a hoot about [something] — complete lack of concern
Xin did not give a single hoot whether her dress was fashionable or not.
Nadia said she did not give a hoot about winning the prize — she just wanted to try her best.
Ask Oluwaseun about the latest trends — she does not give a hoot and wears whatever she likes.
- care (not care)
neutral equivalent; 'not give a hoot' is more forceful and informal than simply 'not care'
- damn (not give a damn)
equally informal and strong; 'damn' is slightly more vulgar
- two hoots (not give two hoots)
variant of the same idiom with the same meaning
- care
to have interest or concern; the opposite of the 'not give a hoot' meaning
文法句型
not give a hoot about [something]
don't give a hoot
用法筆記
Almost always used in negative constructions (not give a hoot, didn't give a hoot) or in questions ('Who gives a hoot?'). The affirmative 'give a hoot' is very rare and sounds unnatural to most native speakers. Register is informal — not appropriate for formal writing.
常見錯誤
hoot — verb
- hootpresent simple I / you / we / they
- hootshe / she / it
- hootedpast simple
- hooting-ing form
1. to make a short, high-pitched sound with a car horn or other device, or to shout
to make a short, high-pitched sound with a car horn or other device, or to shout in a way that shows a strong feeling such as anger, excitement, or amusement
The truck driver hooted loudly when the car in front stopped suddenly at the green light.
intransitive: hoot + adverb — describe manner
Some fans in the crowd hooted at the player who missed the easy shot.
hoot at [someone] — expressing disapproval
The ship's captain hooted the foghorn three times before leaving the harbour.
A security guard hooted with laughter when he saw the puppy stuck inside a cardboard box.
文法句型
[person] hoots at [someone/something]
[person] hoots [their horn]
[vehicle] hoots
用法筆記
This sense can be used transitively (hoot the horn — the horn is the object) or intransitively (the driver hooted). When describing the reaction of a group of people, 'hoot at' expresses disapproval or mockery, while 'hoot with laughter' expresses amusement.
常見錯誤
2. to make the long, low calling sound that is natural for an owl
to make the long, low calling sound that is natural for an owl
A barn owl hooted three times from the roof of the old barn last night.
The children sat very still, listening to an owl hooting in the dark forest nearby.
owl + hooting — continuous form describing an ongoing sound
Hassan tried to copy the sound of an owl hooting to impress his younger cousin.
Each night the same owl hooted from the same branch outside Wen's bedroom window.
文法句型
an owl hoots
[owl species] hoots
用法筆記
Only intransitive — you do not 'hoot an owl'. The subject is always the owl itself. Different owl species produce different hooting patterns: barn owls give a long, shaking cry, while great horned owls produce a deeper, rhythmic series of calls.