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

From adorable birthday shout-outs to sweet moments on the red carpet, see Quincy Jones' cutest photos with his kids. —Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024

Following the performance, Martin thanked the cheering audience before giving Fox a special shout-out. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 3 Nov. 2024

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave Valenzuela a special shout-out during Friday’s rally. —Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024

The pair also received symbolic keys to the city of New Orleans and a shout-out from Michelle Obama. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

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