Meaning & use
holloa
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Meanings
interjection
A loud shout used to attract attention, especially in hunting or to call someone far away.
Grammar: Used alone as a call, often followed by a name or an exclamation mark: Holloa, there!
Patterns
- holloa someone
- holloa there
Holloa, is anyone at home?
He gave a loud holloa to warn the others.
She holloaed across the field to call her dog.
nouncountable
A loud call or shout, especially one used to urge on hounds during a hunt.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a holloa or several holloas.
Patterns
- give a holloa
- with a holloa
The hunter gave a holloa to signal the start.
We heard a distant holloa from the woods.
A holloa echoed through the valley.
verbintransitive
To shout or call out loudly, especially to get someone's attention.
Grammar: No object; often followed by to or at: holloa to someone.
Patterns
- holloa to someone
- holloa at someone
He holloaed to his friend across the river.
The children holloaed with excitement.
She holloaed at the top of her voice.
Word forms
| third person singular | holloaes |
|---|---|
| past tense | holloaed |
| past participle | holloaed |
| -ing form | holloaing |
| plural | holloas |
Common combinations
- give a holloa
- The shepherd gave a holloa to call his sheep.
- holloa to someone
- She holloaed to her brother to come quickly.
- a loud holloa
- A loud holloa rang out across the hills.
- holloa at someone
- Don't holloa at me; I can hear you perfectly well.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shout
- More general and common in everyday English; holloa is old-fashioned and mainly used in hunting or literary contexts.
- call
- Neutral and widely used; holloa is a specific loud shout, often to attract attention.
- yell
- Suggests a louder, more emotional shout; holloa is more controlled and often used as a signal.
Word family
- holloaing noun
- The act of shouting or calling out loudly.
Commonly confused: holloa or holler? holloa or hello?
holloa vs holler
Holler is informal American English for shout; holloa is old-fashioned British and often associated with hunting.
holloa vs hello
Hello is a greeting; holloa is a loud call to attract attention, not a greeting.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'holloa' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Holloa is typically intransitive and used to attract attention, often followed by 'to'. Option 1 is wrong because holloa is not a greeting. Option 2 is wrong because holloa is not used to announce news in that way. Option 3 is wrong because holloa is not a greeting like 'hello'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “holloa”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.