boo

1 of 4

interjection

used to express contempt or disapproval or to startle or frighten

boo

2 of 4

noun (1)

plural boos
1
: a shout of disapproval or contempt
2
: any utterance at all
usually used in negative constructions
never said boo

boo

3 of 4

verb

booed; booing; boos

intransitive verb

: to deride especially by uttering a prolonged boo

transitive verb

: to express disapproval of by booing
the crowd booed the referee

boo

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural boos
US slang
: a romantic partner : sweetheart, honey
Your parents might keep a sharp eye on potential partners and your besties may lay down difficult "friend tests," but only one real opinion on your new boo truly matters: what your dog thinks of them.Jaime Lees
This has left me skeptical of all new relationships—including my new boo.Griffin Wynne

Examples of boo in a Sentence

Noun (1) A chorus of boos was heard after the shot missed the goal. The announcement was greeted by a mixture of boos and cheers. Verb Many people in the crowd booed when the announcement was made. Many people in the crowd booed the announcement, but a few people cheered it.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Interjection
Highlights include a costume parade (for kids and parents), a Purim story and boo Haman and songs. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 Volunteer yourself to help with X, Y and Z accommodations if that lightens the family’s workload, without saying boo about the couple’s choices. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024
Noun
Night one, cha cha (23 out of 40, boo!); Night two (29 out of 40) Total: 52 Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher with partner Alan Bersten. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2024 The crowd gathered around cheered loudly except for a chorus of boos as Las Vegas’ buses pulled up. Sarah Kelly, The Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2024
Verb
After striking out four times for a loss in late April, the crowd in Yankee Stadium had even booed the captain. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2024 Some in the audience booed him from breaking with the traditional tone of the evening. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for boo 

Word History

Etymology

Interjection

expressive formation; the voiced labial release and high vowel presumably heighten the suddenness of the utterance

Noun (1)

derivative of boo entry 1

Verb

derivative of boo entry 2

Noun (2)

of uncertain origin

Note: Perhaps ultimately a hypocoristic reduction of brother, applied to unrelated males, but the details are unclear.

First Known Use

Interjection

1639, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1884, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1833, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

1988, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of boo was in 1639

Dictionary Entries Near boo

Cite this Entry

“Boo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boo. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

boo

1 of 2 interjection
used to express contempt or disapproval or to startle or frighten

boo

2 of 2 noun
plural boos
1
: a shout of disapproval or contempt
2
: any sound at all
never said boo
boo verb

More from Merriam-Webster on boo

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