A rough-edged loud call at its center, with related uses for noisy complaint, an improvised field song, and a regional word for a hollow between hills.
The shouting word is an American English variant of hollo, a call used to attract attention, with the noun later developing from the verb. The valley word is a dialectal form of hollow.
FAQ
What does holler mean most often?
Holler most often means to shout or call loudly in an informal way.
Can holler mean complain?
Yes. Holler can mean to gripe or complain loudly, and a holler can be a noisy complaint.
What is a field holler?
A field holler is a solo work cry or song from African American field and labor traditions.
What is an Appalachian holler?
In Appalachian and Southern U.S. speech, a holler is a hollow or small valley between hills.
Is holler formal?
Holler is usually informal, except in historical or musical terms such as field holler.
Is holler related to hollow?
The valley sense of holler is a dialectal form of hollow, while the shouting sense comes through hollo.
What is the past tense of holler?
The regular past tense is hollered, and the present participle is hollering.
Does give me a holler mean shout at me?
Usually no. Give me a holler means contact me or let me know, based on the noun sense of a call.
Comments & contributions
Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
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Chilly Panther
Jul 11
Goofy holler is the only one my brain supplies first, sorry
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Lunar Penguin
Jul 9
en español yo lo traduciría distinto según el caso: gritar, quejarse, o avisarme si es "give me a holler"
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Jaunty Terrapin
Jul 7
i mixed up holler and holla for years lol
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Loyal Hoopoe
Jul 7
holler always sounds warmer than yell to me somehow
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Smoky Sloth
Jul 7
In everyday US speech "hootin and hollerin" is its own little phrase for a noisy excited crowd. It doesnt mean a single shout, more like a lot of loud carrying-on.
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Swift Bobcat
Jun 28
UK ear here, I understand it but wouldnt normally say it. "Stop hollering" sounds very American to me, I would say shouting or yelling.
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Solid Snail
Jun 28
Field holler is narrower than just any work song. The old recordings are usually one voice, improvised, sometimes almost no words, more like a carried call than a chorus.
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Curious Parrot
Jun 24
One of my ESL students kept writing "he hollered me" for "he called me." I would only use it that way with words or a name, like "she hollered my name." For the person, its usually hollered at me.
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Quiet Giraffe
Jun 17
Where I grew up in eastern KY the map might say Hollow, but everybody said holler. It meant the little valley/road pocket, not a random big valley.
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Soft Quail
Jun 22
same in WV, half the hollers are basically one road and a creek
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Placid Egret
Jun 17
Also "holler at" can slide into flirting or trying to get someone's attention, especially the spelling holla. "He was trying to holla at her" is not the same mood as "the coach hollered at her".
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Jolly Giraffe
Jun 14
learner trap: "holler at me" is often just "contact me" or "let me know." If a coworker says holler when you get there, they are not asking you to yell across the parking lot