holler

1 of 3

verb

hol·​ler ˈhä-lər How to pronounce holler (audio)
hollered; hollering ˈhä-lə-riŋ How to pronounce holler (audio)
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
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The two parties have been hollering at third-party candidates ever since Ross Perot and Ralph Nader. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025 Members have hissed and hollered at Presidents of the opposing party in recent years with casual regularity. Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
This included early American music forms, marches, spirituals, field hollers, work songs and African rhythms, as well as their musical descendants, like jazz, blues, gospel, country and rock ‘n’ roll. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025 The fundamental elements of African American music were the sounds of enslaved Africans; cries, hollers, call and response, additive rhythms, bent notes, hand-clapping, stomps and constant repetition of rhythmic and melodic phrasing (from which riffs and vamps were derived). Ronald E. Scott, New York Daily News, 1 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for holler

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of holler was in 1592

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Holler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holler. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

holler

verb
hol·​ler
ˈhäl-ər
hollered; hollering
-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to cry or call out : shout
2
holler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on holler

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!