Hǒu shēng literally combines 吼 (hǒu), meaning 'to roar'—a loud, deep vocalization often made by large animals like lions or tigers—and 声 (shēng), meaning 'sound' or 'voice'. Together, they form a noun meaning 'roar' or 'roaring sound', emphasizing the auditory quality rather than the action itself. It’s commonly used to describe powerful, resonant sounds produced by animals, but can also refer to similarly intense human vocalizations, such as shouts of anger or protest.

This word appears frequently in descriptive writing, nature documentaries, and literature to evoke intensity, danger, or raw emotion. Unlike the verb 吼 (hǒu), which focuses on the act of roaring, 吼声 is strictly nominal and always refers to the resulting sound. It’s neutral in register but leans slightly literary or vivid—less common in casual speech than simpler terms like 叫声 ('cry') or 大喊 ('shout').