whoop
C1Informal, but used in specific medical contexts (whooping cough).
Definition
Meaning
A loud, excited, or enthusiastic cry or shout, often of joy or triumph.
As a verb: to shout or cry out loudly, especially in excitement, victory, or to encourage. Also, in informal contexts, to attack, defeat, or reprimand someone (whoop someone's ass/bottom). As a noun: the loud cry itself, or a specific medical sound (as in the characteristic cough of whooping cough).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily associated with expressions of exuberance, victory, or encouragement. The noun 'whoop' can be countable (a loud whoop) or uncountable (much whooping). The phrase 'whoop it up' means to celebrate boisterously.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: The verb 'to whoop' is spelled the same. The informal phrase 'whoop someone's ass' is common in AmE. In BrE, 'whoop someone's bottom' is possible but less frequent. The word for the medical condition is 'whooping cough' in both.
Connotations
In both, it's informal and energetic. In AmE sports and gaming contexts, it's heavily associated with celebratory shouts (e.g., 'whoops of joy'). The phrase 'the whoops and hollers' is common in AmE.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in AmE, especially in contexts of sports fandom and casual celebration.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
V (intransitive): The crowd whooped.V + adv (intransitive): They whooped with delight.V + n (transitive, rare): He whooped a battle cry.V + n (transitive, slang): I'll whoop your ass.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “whoop it up”
- “not give a whoop (about something)”
- “whoop and holler”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Extremely rare. Possibly in informal team celebrations after a big win.
Academic
Rare, except in medical literature discussing 'whooping cough' (pertussis).
Everyday
Common for describing loud, happy shouts at parties, sports events, or when receiving good news.
Technical
Primarily medical: 'whooping cough'. In audio engineering, could describe a specific type of transient peak.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The fans whooped when the goal was scored.
- He whooped with laughter at the joke.
- The children were whooping as they played in the garden.
American English
- The crowd whooped as the home run sailed over the fence.
- Let's go whoop it up downtown tonight!
- I'm gonna whoop you at Mario Kart.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A (No standard adjectival use beyond compound 'whooping')
American English
- N/A (No standard adjectival use beyond compound 'whooping')
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The baby let out a happy whoop.
- I heard a whoop from the next room.
- The children whooped with excitement at the circus.
- A loud whoop came from the winning team.
- Celebrants whooped and hollered as the clock struck midnight.
- Despite the doctor's warnings, whooping cough cases are on the rise in the region.
- The pundits whooped it up in the studio after the shock election result.
- He didn't give a whoop about the financial consequences of his actions.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a group of monkeys ('hoo' sound) at a party ('popping' balloons) – they 'WHOOP' with excitement.
Conceptual Metaphor
JOY/EXCITEMENT IS A SUDDEN, LOUD OUTBURST (A whoop of joy exploded from the crowd).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'whoops' (interjection for a small mistake) – это 'упс'.
- Not a direct translation of 'крик'. 'Whoop' implies more specific emotion (joy/triumph) than the general 'крик' (which could be of fear).
- The phrase 'whooping cough' is коклюш, not a literal translation.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'woop' or 'whup'.
- Using it for a cry of pain or fear (incorrect).
- Pronouncing the 'wh-' as /h/ in all contexts (modern standard pronunciation is /w/).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'whoop' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily positive, associated with joy, victory, and excitement. It can be neutral in the medical term 'whooping cough'. In slang ('whoop your ass'), it is aggressive/negative.
A 'whoop' is a single, sharp, loud cry of excitement. A 'cheer' is often more sustained and can involve words (e.g., 'Hooray!'). A crowd cheers; an individual might let out a whoop.
In modern standard English (both BrE and AmE), it is most commonly pronounced like 'woop' (/wuːp/ or /wʊp/). An older or regional American pronunciation sounds like 'hoop' (/huːp/).
Yes. As a noun: 'She gave a whoop.' As a verb: 'They whooped with joy.'