shouting

shouting — noun

1. the sound produced when a person or a group of people call out very loudly, ofte

1.nounB1
Definition

the sound produced when a person or a group of people call out very loudly, often because they are angry, excited, or in pain

Example

Angry shouting from the crowd could be heard several streets away.

passive: shouting + could be heard

Hassan heard shouting coming from the kitchen and ran to see what was wrong.

verb of perception: hear shouting

Common collocations
  • angry shouting
  • loud shouting
  • hear shouting
  • sound of shouting
  • shouting from
  • shouting in
Synonyms
  • yelling

    more informal than shouting and often implies anger

  • screaming

    suggests a higher pitch, often from fear or excitement

  • cheering

    limited to shouts of encouragement or approval, not anger

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

hear shouting

there was shouting

shouting from [place/person]

Usage Note

Uncountable noun in standard use. Frequently appears after verbs of perception (hear, listen to) or in existential constructions with 'there is/was'. For a single loud cry, use the countable noun 'shout' instead.

Common Mistakes

I heard a shouting in the street.
I heard shouting in the street.
'shouting' is uncountable for general noise; use 'a shout' for one single cry.
Idioms

be all over bar the shouting

idiom

used to say that the result of a competition, election, or decision is already certain, even though it has not officially ended yet

With a four-goal lead and only ten minutes left, the match was all over bar the shouting.

within shouting distance (of something)

idiom

very close to a place, amount, or achievement, so that it feels almost within reach

The Watanabe family lives within shouting distance of the main train station.

Our sales figures came within shouting distance of the annual target.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Yelling, screaming, cheering, and shouting all describe loud vocal sounds, but they differ in tone and purpose. Shouting is the most neutral term for raising one's voice — it can express anger, excitement, or simply a need to be heard over noise. Yelling is more informal than shouting and often carries a stronger sense of anger or frustration ('The coach was yelling at the players'). Screaming suggests a high-pitched, intense sound, usually caused by fear, pain, or extreme excitement ('Fans screamed when the band walked on stage'). Cheering is positive and group-oriented, meaning shouts of encouragement or approval ('The audience cheered after every goal'). Use 'shouting' for general loud voices, 'yelling' for angry outbursts, 'screaming' for high-pitched emotional cries, and 'cheering' for supportive crowd noise.

yellingscreaming ↗cheeringshouting ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • sound of shouting
  • there was shouting
  • shouting match

Prepositions

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

Shouting is a noun formed by adding the suffix '-ing' to the verb 'shout'. The verb 'shout' first appeared in Middle English around the late 1300s as 'shouten', possibly borrowed from Old Norse 'skūta' meaning 'to scold' or related to the Old English word 'scēotan' ('to shoot') — the idea being that a shout is a sound that 'shoots out' of the mouth. Over time, the '-ing' form became established as a noun referring to the activity or sound of shouting.