holler

1 of 3

verb

hol·​ler ˈhä-lər 

hollered; hollering ˈhä-lə-riŋ 

ˈhäl-riŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to cry out (as to attract attention or in pain) : shout

hollering for help

2

: gripe, complain

will always holler about tax increases

transitive verb

: to call out (a word or phrase)

hollering her daughter's name

holler

2 of 3

noun

1

: shout, cry

give a holler if you need any help

2

: complaint

3

: an African American work song freely improvised usually in terms of the particular occupation of the moment and often without words

a cornfield holler

holler

3 of 3

chiefly dialectal variant of hollow

Synonyms

Verb

• beef
• bellyache
• bitch
• bleat
• carp
• caterwaul
• complain
• crab
• croak
• fuss
• gripe
• grizzle
• grouch
• grouse
• growl
• grumble
• grump
• inveigh
• keen
• kick
• kvetch
• maunder [chiefly British]
• moan
• murmur
• mutter
• nag
• repine
• scream
• squawk
• squeal
• wail
• whimper
• whine
• whinge [British]
• yammer
• yawp
• yaup
• yowl

Noun

• cry
• hoot
• howl
• shout
• whoop
• yell
• yowl

Examples of holler in a Sentence

Verb

He was hollering across the fields to his workers.

They were screaming and hollering at each other all night.

She hollered across the street, “Did you hear the news?”.

Someone was hollering my name.

People always holler about tax increases.

Noun

heard a holler from somewhere in the woods and ran toward it

there didn't seem to be a thermostat setting that wouldn't bring a holler from somebody

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Other vehicles honked while driving by, or whooped and hollered to show support. —Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Feb. 2025

On Monday night, Fox comedian Greg Gutfeld’s very first quip was about Reid, and his studio audience cheered and hollered with approval. —Brian Stelter, CNN, 25 Feb. 2025

Noun

Heavy on pianos and organs played by Al Kooper and Dylan himself, New Morning features a raggedly charming vocal style, somewhere between the Nashville Skyline croon and the holler Dylan would develop in the mid-’70s. —Al Shipley, SPIN, 25 Dec. 2024

The prolonged hoots and hollers that followed, so soon after the concert’s start, said it all: there were two stars in the house. —Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

alteration of hollo

First Known Use

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for holler

• caller
• collar
• crawler
• dollar
• faller
• haller
• hauler
• scholar
• smaller
• squalor
• taller
• trawler

Kids Definition

holler

verb

hol·​ler

ˈhäl-ər

hollered; hollering

-(ə-)riŋ

1

: to cry or call out : shout

2

: complain sense 1

holler noun