whooper

whooper — noun

1. a person who makes a loud, excited shout, especially at a sports event, concert,

1.nounC2
Definition

a person who makes a loud, excited shout, especially at a sports event, concert, celebration, or other lively gathering to show joy, encouragement, or strong emotion.

Example

After the team scored, Nadia became the loudest whooper in the stadium.

whooper + prepositional phrase: in [place]

The whoopers on the bus grew louder when the singer stepped out of the hotel.

Common collocations
  • biggest whooper
  • loudest whooper
  • whooper in the crowd
  • whooper at the game
Synonyms
  • shouter

    more general — refers to any loud voice, not necessarily excited or joyful

  • cheerer

    focuses on support and encouragement rather than a specific sound

  • yeller

    more informal and often negative; suggests anger rather than excitement

Usage Note

This is an uncommon word in everyday speech; people more often use phrases like 'someone who cheers' or 'someone who shouts'. The word is formed by adding -er to the verb whoop.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe someone who makes a loud sound with their voice, but the context and tone differ. A shouter is simply a person who speaks or cries out loudly — the word carries no particular emotion. A cheerer specifically supports or encourages someone, usually at a sports event or performance. A yeller is informal and often implies anger, frustration, or an uncontrolled outburst rather than excitement. Whooper sits closest to cheerer in positive tone, but emphasises the distinctive sound (a 'whoop') rather than general cheering. For example: The whoopers at the concert were having the time of their lives; the shouters at the market were just trying to sell fish; and the yellers across the street were arguing about a parking space.

shoutercheereryeller

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • biggest/loudest whooper
  • whooper in the crowd

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word whooper is formed by adding the agent-noun suffix -er to the verb whoop, which is an imitative (onomatopoeic) word that attempts to capture the sound of a loud, excited human cry. The verb whoop has been recorded in English since the 14th century, originally used for hunting calls and battle cries before taking on its modern sense of a joyful shout.

First known use

1600

1600, in the meaning defined above