shout-out

noun

ˈshau̇t-ˌau̇t 

variants or less commonly shoutout

plural shout-outs also shoutouts

informal

: a public expression of greeting, praise, or acknowledgement directed toward a person or group often as part of a performance, recording, or broadcast

She opened her acceptance speech with a shout-out to James Baldwin, the author of the book on which the movie was based, calling him "one of the greatest artists of our time."

—Neal Justin

Here are a few lyrical shout-outs to some of hip hop's favorite designers.

—Scott Poulson-Bryant

She even gave a shoutout to one of her former teachers on Twitter, and encouraged others to do the same.

—Emily Sweeney

Examples of shout-out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These platforms allow leaders and peers to give shout-outs, offer praise, and share accomplishments with the broader team. —Luciana Paulise, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025

Schumer also gave a shout-out to Midi Health, which prescribed the medications for her. —Karen Fratti, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025

During the cruise-ship episode, Mulaney and crew (shout-out Ben Stiller for having the best follow-up questions) spoke to former boat worker Oren, who once stored a dead body in a state room. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025

The first reader who names the spot gets a shout-out in the newsletter. —Jeremy Duda, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shout-out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

shout–out

noun

variants also shoutout

ˈshau̇t-ˌau̇t

informal

: a public expression of greeting, praise, or acknowledgment directed toward a person or group often as part of a performance, broadcast, or recording