shooing
Gesturing away pests
Shooing is the act of driving someone or something away with gestures or sounds, typically waving hands and saying "shoo": She was shooing flies from the picnic table.
The word suggests a casual, dismissive urgency—you shoo away pests, stray animals, or people you want gone without ceremony.
Following to catch
- expellingForcing someone out
- oustingForcible removal from position
- ejectingForcing removal from within
- banishingForcing permanent departure
removing · dispersing · scattering · clearing · evicting · turning-away · rebuffing · spurning
Oscillating motion through medium
- motionChange in position
- flickBrief, sharp motion
- swatHit something sharply
- brushBristled cleaning tool
fan · sweep · beckon · signal · hand-wave · flapping · swish · batting
Cause of aggravation
- pestHarmful creature or nag
- botherTo annoy or disturb
- intrusionUnauthorized entry into space
- irritationMild anger or inflammation
disturbance · unwanted · pesky · bothersome · persistent · nagging · unwelcome · vexing
Winged buzzing pests
- mosquitoesBlood-drinking flying insects
- bugsSmall crawling creatures
- insectsSix-legged arthropods
- birdsEgg-laying flying vertebrates
critters · vermin · strays · pigeons · crows · rodents · cats · dogs
Actively protecting something
- defendingProtecting against harm
- safeguardingPreventing harm or loss
- deterringPreventing through fear
- preventingStopping before occurrence
chasing
Following to catch
- expellingForcing someone out
- oustingForcible removal from position
- ejectingForcing removal from within
banishing · removing · dispersing · scattering · clearing · evicting · turning-away · rebuffing · spurning · repelling
wave
Oscillating motion through medium
brush · fan · sweep · beckon · signal · hand-wave · flapping · swish · batting · fanning
nuisance
Cause of aggravation
irritation · disturbance · unwanted · pesky · bothersome · persistent · nagging · unwelcome · vexing · aggravating
flies
Winged buzzing pests
- mosquitoesBlood-drinking flying insects
- bugsSmall crawling creatures
- insectsSix-legged arthropods
birds · critters · vermin · strays · pigeons · crows · rodents · cats · dogs · chickens
guarding
Actively protecting something
- defendingProtecting against harm
- safeguardingPreventing harm or loss
- deterringPreventing through fear
preventing · shielding · warding · repelling · discouraging
- hand gestureswave, point, beckon, clap, snap
- driving awayrepelling, banishing, forcing out, warding off, fending off
- gesturesgesture, hand gestures, applause, hand raise, tap on shoulder
shooingwelcoming
Receiving others warmly
beckoning · inviting · greeting · receiving · ushering in
shooingluring
Attracting through enticement
enticing · attracting · coaxing · drawing in · gathering
shoo, whoosh, shooed, shoos, whooshing, whooshes, whooshed, shoofly