to boo someone

Meanings

1. 1phrasetransitive

   To shout 'boo' at a person, especially a performer or speaker, to show strong disapproval or dislike.

   Grammar: Takes a direct object: boo someone. You can also say boo at someone in British English, but the direct object is more common in American English.

   Patterns

   • boo someone
   • boo someone off (the stage)

   The crowd began to boo the referee after the controversial call.

   Fans booed the singer when she forgot the lyrics.

   Don't boo the players; they're doing their best.

2. 2phraseintransitiveinformal

   To make a loud 'boo' sound to show you are frightened, often as a joke.

   Grammar: No object; often used in playful contexts, especially by children.

   Patterns

   • boo (at someone)

   The kids loved to boo at each other in the dark.

   She jumped out and said 'boo' to scare her brother.

Common combinations

boo someone off the stage

The audience booed the comedian off the stage.

boo loudly

The crowd booed loudly when the goal was disallowed.

boo and hiss

The villain was booed and hissed by the pantomime audience.

start to boo

The fans started to boo after the third mistake.

Synonyms and how they differ

jeer

To jeer is to shout rude or mocking comments; it is more verbal and mocking than just saying 'boo'.

heckle

To heckle means to interrupt a speaker or performer with comments; it is more about interrupting than just booing.

Opposites

Word family

boo interjection

The sound you make to show disapproval or to scare someone.

booing noun

The act of shouting 'boo' repeatedly, e.g., 'The booing lasted for minutes.'

Commonly confused: to boo someone or booze?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “to boo someone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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