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

Submit your guess, and the first reader with the correct answer earns a shout-out in the next Monday’s editions. —Jayla Webb, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2025

And that’s especially true when a demon as insidious as Doma or brutal as Akaza steps into frame (special shout-out to the deliciously cruel and twisted sympathy Doma shares for his opponent Shinobu Kocho during their fight). —David Opie, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025

The former president gets a shout-out, this time as an allegedly creepy Arkansas governor. —Zoe Guy, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025

Presenter Maya Rudolph opened Saturday’s show with a shout-out to the artisans and crew members who dominate the Creative Arts categories. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 7 Sep. 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