Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense boos, present participle booing, past tense, past participle booed
1. verb
If you boo a speaker or performer, you shout 'boo' or make other loud sounds to indicate that you do not like them, their opinions, or their performance.
People were booing and throwing things at them. [VERB]
Demonstrators booed and jeered him. [VERB noun]
He was booed off the stage. [beVERB-ed]
Boo is also a noun.
She was greeted with boos and hisses.
booinguncountable noun
The fans are entitled to their opinion but booing doesn't help anyone.
2. exclamation
You say 'Boo!' loudly and suddenly when you want to surprise someone who does not know that you are there.
3. See also peekaboo
boo in British English
(buː)
exclamation
1.
an exclamation uttered to startle or surprise someone, esp a child
2.
a shout uttered to express disgust, dissatisfaction, or contempt, esp at a theatrical production, political meeting, etc
3. would not say boo to a goose
verbWord forms: boos, booing or booed
4.
to shout "boo" at (someone or something), esp as an expression of disgust, dissatisfaction, or disapproval
to boo the actors
boo in American English1
(bu)
interjection, nounWord forms: pluralboos
1.
used to express disapproval, scorn, etc.: a prolonged sound
2.
used to startle someone: an abrupt exclamation
verb intransitiveWord forms: booed or ˈbooing
3.
to make this prolonged sound in expressing disapproval
verb transitive
4.
to shout “boo” at, in order to startle
Word origin
echoic
boo in American English2
(bu)
noun
Slang
marijuana
More idioms containing
boo
someone wouldn't say boo to a goose
Examples of 'boo' in a sentence
boo
The audience for the opening night booed so loudly and for so long that the conductor halted the production to allow the tumult to subside.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is the boo, hiss, dismiss culture.
The Sun (2016)
And the players were roundly booed off.
The Sun (2011)
For loudly booing when the blameless singers and the faultless musicians were doing their best?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The studio audience is encouraged to boo and hiss at these insults.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
According to one account he booed throughout the performance.
Susie Gilbert and Jay Shir A TALE OF FOUR HOUSES: Opera at Covent Garden, La Scala, Vienna and the Met since1945 (2003)
England were loudly booed off and that queasy feeling was setting in.
The Sun (2006)
You clearly do not understand the kind of destruction you bring to a human being by shouting and booing.
Susie Gilbert and Jay Shir A TALE OF FOUR HOUSES: Opera at Covent Garden, La Scala, Vienna and the Met since1945 (2003)
He got booed off the stage.
Christianity Today (2000)
He was booed, hissed and publicly spat at.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The audience in Blackpool threw pennies on to the stage and booed him off.
Chris Gidney CELEBRATING SECOMBE: A Tribute to Sir Harry Secombe (2002)
He said that although he disapproved of booing during a performance, he would not be asking audiences to refrain.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Some booed or shouted slogans.
The Sun (2013)
But the English also lose - boo!
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
At the photo call, he was roundly booed when he stomped off after only 15 seconds.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
So not boo, hiss, pay up as in your good selves making a donation to me.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But after spending six years on a pet project, only to see it roundly booed, he is understandably guarded.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
boo
British English: boo VERB
If you boo a speaker or performer, you shout 'boo' or make other loud sounds to indicate that you do not like them, their opinions, or their performance.
People were booing and throwing things at them.
He was booed off the stage.
American English: boo
Brazilian Portuguese: vaiar
Chinese: 发出嘘声以示不满
European Spanish: abuchear
French: huer
German: ausbuhen
Italian: fischiare
Japanese: ブーイングする
Korean: 야유하다
European Portuguese: vaiar
Latin American Spanish: abuchear
All related terms of 'boo'
boo-boo
an embarrassing mistake ; blunder
boo-word
any word that seems to cause irrational fear
tickety-boo
as it should be; correct ; satisfactory
boo-hurrah theory
the theory that moral utterances do not have a truth value but express the feelings of the speaker , so that murder is wrong is equivalent to down with murder
yah-boo politics
adversarial politics in which politicians constantly deride their opponents and dismiss everything suggested by them
peekaboo
Peekaboo is a game you play with babies in which you cover your face with your hands or hide behind something and then suddenly show your face, saying 'peekaboo!'
would not say boo to a goose
is extremely timid or diffident
someone wouldn't say boo to a goose
said to mean that someone is very quiet , shy or nervous
emotivism
the theory that moral utterances do not have a truth value but express the feelings of the speaker , so that murder is wrong is equivalent to down with murder