1 A2 neutral
To call out loudly, either to get someone's attention or as an exclamation
"He shouted out her name across the crowded market, but she couldn't hear him."
separable
shout out
A2 informal separable transitive
To call out loudly to someone, or to give a public mention or acknowledgement of appreciation
In plain English
To call to someone in a loud voice, or to say nice things about someone in public to thank them
What does "shout out" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To publicly acknowledge or praise someone, often on social media, radio, or at an event
"I want to shout out my coach, who believed in me from the very beginning."
“
Big shout-out to my team back home.
— Common phrasing used by athletes and performers in award acceptance speeches and interviews; widely attributed to various hip-hop artists from the 1990s onward
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To shout in an outward direction so that someone hears you
Actually means
To call to someone in a loud voice, or to say nice things about someone in public to thank them
Usage tip
The sense of 'public acknowledgement' has grown enormously due to social media and hip-hop culture. A 'shout-out' (noun, hyphenated or one word) is a public mention of thanks. The literal sense (calling out loudly) is A2; the social media sense is more B1.
Words that pair with "shout out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
someone's name fans friends followers teacher community
How to conjugate "shout out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shout out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shouts out
he/she/it
Past simple
shouted out
yesterday
Past participle
shouted out
have + pp
-ing form
shouting out
continuous
Hear "shout out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "shout out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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