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hoot

hoot

35 5.5
Something of little or no value
  • noun
  • /huːt/
  • Informal
translation icon : no valer un bledo
  • He doesn't give a hoot about the opinion of others.

No one reached out, no one gave a hoot.

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Examples

  • If my parents or wife gave a hoot about photography, I'd do the same.

    Blog text (9)
  • Do you really think they give a hoot about us, huh?

  • The stock market does not give a flying hoot what is happening today.

  • What I do give a hoot about is you.

  • Otherwise, nobody from either party gives a hoot if I get up in the morning... you either.

    Blog text (21)
  • He doesn't care a hoot about money.

  • As for the chair, he really didn't give two hoots about the damn thing.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • This country was founded on we don't give a hoot where you're from.

  • Yesterday's competition for the Fujifilm Instax camera was especially a hoot, with three rounds of challenges.

    Blog text (8)
  • Super Pills aren't worth a hoot!" Orville gave a big smile and proudly said, "Whooo!"

    Fiction book (2000)

Synonyms

shit
vshoot
  • Offensive
9.9

Something worthless or untrue that people say to you

is a mild idiom used in negative phrases without vulgar tone
damn
vshoot
  • NSFW
398 6.6

Something of little or no value, often in negative phrases

is used in a single familiar negative phrase rather than general usage
red cent
vshoot
  • Informal
5 6.3

A very small amount of money, often meaning nothing at all

expresses lack of value more generally, not only about money
tinker's damn
vshoot
  • NSFW
2 9.9

Something of little or no worth

is focused on worthlessness but not on counting small amounts
darn
vshoot
  • Informal
1 7.9

A word people use to say something has very little value

is used negatively without adding strong emphasis on worthlessness
shucks
vshoot
  • Slang
1 9.7

A thing that has little or no value

is more general and fits other negative expressions too
tinker's dam
vshoot
  • Archaic
9.9

Something of very little or no value

is mainly used inside a fixed negative phrase rather than as a plain label
not worth a whistle
vshoot
  • Informal
9.1

A thing that has no value or use

focuses on general lack of value rather than not obtaining or considering

Antonyms

770 3.5

A useful quality, skill, or person that helps someone succeed

676 1.1

Valuable items like gold or jewels that people keep

Idioms

to give a hoot
  • Archaic
9 8.1

To not care at all about something

Compounds

1 6.6

A bird with a deep, low call heard at night

How Valuable

treasure
676 1.1
useful
947 1.0
hoot
  • Informal
35 5.5
nothing
17 1.0

Surface Forms

hoot singular
hoots plural

Etymology

Hoot in the phrase not worth a hoot is an idiom that treats a hoot as a small, unimportant sound, so a helpful way to remember it is to think something 'is not worth even that little sound'. That is why if something is 'not worth a hoot' it is useless or unimportant.