Meaning & use
whooping
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“whooping” is a form of “whoop”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivebefore a nounmedical
Making a loud, excited whooping sound, or forming part of the name of a serious coughing illness.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a whooping sound; whooping cough.
Patterns
- whooping cough
- a whooping sound
The child had a bad case of whooping cough and needed to see a doctor.
We could hear whooping cries coming from the football stadium.
verbintransitive
The -ing form of whoop: shouting or crying out loudly in excitement or joy.
Grammar: No object; often followed by with: whooping with joy.
Patterns
- whooping with joy
- whooping with delight
The fans were whooping with joy after their team scored.
She ran out of the room, whooping and laughing.
Common combinations
- whooping cough
- Whooping cough can be prevented by vaccination.
- whooping sound
- The bird makes a strange whooping sound at night.
- whooping with joy
- The children were whooping with joy on the last day of school.
Synonyms and how they differ
- coughing
- Coughing is a general word for forcing air out of the throat; whooping specifically describes the loud gasping sound of whooping cough.
- shouting
- Shouting means speaking very loudly; whooping is a more specific, excited cry.
Word family
Commonly confused: whooping or hopping?
whooping vs hopping
Hopping means jumping on one foot; whooping means making a loud cry or relates to whooping cough.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'whooping' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Whooping with joy' is the correct use, meaning shouting in excitement. The other options use whooping with the wrong meaning or grammar.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “whooping”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.