shout-out

noun

ˈshau̇t-ˌau̇t 

variants or less commonly shoutout

plural shout-outs also shoutouts

informal

: a public expression of greeting, praise, or acknowledgement directed toward a person or group often as part of a performance, recording, or broadcast

She opened her acceptance speech with a shout-out to James Baldwin, the author of the book on which the movie was based, calling him "one of the greatest artists of our time."

—Neal Justin

Here are a few lyrical shout-outs to some of hip hop's favorite designers.

—Scott Poulson-Bryant

She even gave a shoutout to one of her former teachers on Twitter, and encouraged others to do the same.

—Emily Sweeney

Examples of shout-out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The first reader who names the spot gets a shout-out in the newsletter. —Jeremy Duda, Axios, 24 Jan. 2025

If employee recognition is a focus, look for platforms that enable peer shout-outs or track milestones. —Archer Chiang, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

During his postgame interview on CBS, Allen gave a shout-out to his teammates on the other side of the ball. —Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2025

Elsewhere at Fan Expo New Orleans, Wilson, Thompson, Fox and Lloyd delivered a heartfelt shout-out to those effected by the devastating L.A. wildfires. —John Russell, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

shout–out

noun

variants also shoutout

ˈshau̇t-ˌau̇t

informal

: a public expression of greeting, praise, or acknowledgment directed toward a person or group often as part of a performance, broadcast, or recording