boohoo

A child begins to boohoo after dropping his ice cream.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • The sound of crying: "boohoo" refers to the noise made when someone cries noisily, often used to mimic the sound of sobbing.
   • An instance of crying: It can also denote a bout or act of crying, especially in a theatrical or exaggerated manner.

2. Verb:

   • To cry noisily: The most common meaning — to weep or sob with audible, repeated sounds like "boo-hoo."

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • I heard a loud boohoo from the next room. (The sound of someone crying.)
  • After the argument, there was a long boohoo from the child. (A prolonged crying episode.)

• Verb:

  • The baby began to boohoo when its toy was taken away. (To cry noisily in distress.)
  • She boohooed all the way through the sad movie. (She wept audibly during the film.)

Advanced Usage

• "to boohoo about something": to complain or cry exaggeratingly over a minor issue.
  • Don't boohoo about a scratch on your car — it's just a small mark. (Don't make a fuss or cry over something trivial.)

Variants and Related Words

• Boohooing (n/adj): the act of crying noisily.
  • The boohooing from the playground was hard to ignore. (The noisy crying.)

Synonyms

• Cry: to shed tears, often silently or with sobs.
• Sob: to cry with short, convulsive breaths.
• Wail: to cry out loudly in grief or pain.

Phrasal Verbs

• Boohoo out: to express something through crying.
  • She boohooed out her sorrow to her friend. (She cried and spoke her feelings aloud.)

Related Idioms

• Cry boohoo: to weep noisily or theatrically.
  • The actress cried boohoo on stage to show her character's grief. (She performed loud, exaggerated crying.)