Holler

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈhɑ.lɚ/

Definitions

1. To shout or call out loudly to attract attention or communicate over a distance ; a small, narrow valley or hollow typically in a rural or mountainous area
2. To yell or vocally express something in a loud voice, often to be heard far away ; a low area of land between hills or mountains
3. To make a loud vocal call, especially to draw someone's notice ; a natural depression in the landscape forming a small valley

Etymology: "Holler" is an American variant of "holla," "hallo," or "hollo," all spellings of a call used to attract attention or express excitement. The word's spelling reflects how those forms were pronounced, and the same shout that gave rise to "hallo" in English also gave us the greeting still used on the telephone. The verb also has a second, unrelated origin in the word "hollow." Speakers treated the two as variants of one another, so a call made across open ground, where the voice seems to echo into emptiness, came to be called a holler. Over time, that sense of a loud, far-carrying cry blended with the older shout.

Synonyms: shout, yell, scream, call, bawl

Antonyms: whisper, murmur, hush, silence, calm