holler

1 of 3

verb

hol·​ler ˈhä-lər 

hollered; hollering ˈhä-lə-riŋ 

ˈhäl-riŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to cry out (as to attract attention or in pain) : shout

hollering for help

2

: gripe, complain

will always holler about tax increases

transitive verb

: to call out (a word or phrase)

hollering her daughter's name

holler

2 of 3

noun

1

: shout, cry

give a holler if you need any help

2

: complaint

3

: an African American work song freely improvised usually in terms of the particular occupation of the moment and often without words

a cornfield holler

holler

3 of 3

chiefly dialectal variant of hollow

Synonyms

Verb

• beef
• bellyache
• bitch
• bleat
• carp
• caterwaul
• complain
• crab
• croak
• fuss
• gripe
• grizzle
• grouch
• grouse
• growl
• grumble
• grump
• inveigh
• keen
• kick
• kvetch
• maunder [chiefly British]
• moan
• murmur
• mutter
• nag
• repine
• scream
• squawk
• squeal
• wail
• whimper
• whine
• whinge [British]
• yammer
• yawp
• yaup
• yowl

Noun

• cry
• hoot
• howl
• shout
• whoop
• yell
• yowl

Examples of holler in a Sentence

Verb

He was hollering across the fields to his workers.

They were screaming and hollering at each other all night.

She hollered across the street, “Did you hear the news?”.

Someone was hollering my name.

People always holler about tax increases.

Noun

heard a holler from somewhere in the woods and ran toward it

there didn't seem to be a thermostat setting that wouldn't bring a holler from somebody

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Cheers erupt at the news, and alone in an interrogation room, Curtis hollers to ask what’s going on. —Sara Netzley, EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024

But shortly thereafter, Jasmine, his wife, hollered at me and said DOOM wanted everything to move forward according to plan. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024

Noun

Before factories closed, too, companies courted workers from the holler, who brought their values and customs with them. —Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024

But the residents of the area’s tiny towns and hollers aren’t crows. —Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

alteration of hollo

First Known Use

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

holler

verb

hol·​ler

ˈhäl-ər

hollered; hollering

-(ə-)riŋ

1

: to cry or call out : shout

2

: complain sense 1

holler noun