to catcall
1
7.7
- verb
- /ˈkætˌkɔl/
- Offensive
- While walking past the construction site, several workers began to catcall her, making her feel uncomfortable.
Examples
-
I just suddenly got the urge to catcall.
-
If you bother to compare the number of women who'll answer yes to being groped or catcalled when out at a club or party to the number of women who formally complain of sexual harassment, you'll notice the numbers don't match too well.
Blog text (18) -
I never got catcalled, ever.
Blog text (19) -
Jennifer asks the question that many of us want to when we're catcalled.
Blog text (24) -
That man catcalling me is a twat, but who knows what he'll do if I respond?
Blog text (13) -
Their preparations, gathering the materials and supplies they need, take us through the poverty-stricken neighborhoods, with Elio's shiftless friends catcalling at girls and joyriding on their bikes by clinging to buses.
Blog text (3) -
In 2005, Emily May launched Hollaback NYC, a blog dedicated to collecting first-hand experiences of women being catcalled, leered at, and groped in New York City as a way to document and, hopefully, eliminate street harassment.
Blog text (18) -
During the parade, some attendees would catcall at the performers as they passed by.
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It is never acceptable to catcall someone, as it can be disrespectful and unsettling.
Synonyms
52
8.1
To say swear words when angry or frustrated
26
4.2
To say rude or insulting words to someone to hurt them
24
6.8
To interrupt a speaker by shouting rude or angry comments from the audience
6
8.1
To say rude words to someone or something
4
5.8
Saying things that make fun of someone to upset them
1
8.4
Say bad words in front of other people
Antonyms
How Offensive
- Offensive
1
7.7
- Offensive
1
7.8
24
6.8
- Offensive
14
6.2
142
1.6
Surface Forms
Etymology
Catcall comes from the parts cat and call, from the idea of a 'sharp' sound like a cat's cry or a small theatre whistle used to show 'disapproval'. A helpful way to remember it is that to catcall someone is to make that rude, high 'call' at them — a shout or whistle aimed at a person.