hallelujah
Americaninterjection
noun
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an exclamation of “hallelujah!”
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a shout of joy, praise, or gratitude.
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a musical composition wholly or principally based upon the word “hallelujah.”
interjection
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an exclamation of praise to God
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an expression of relief or a similar emotion
noun
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an exclamation of "Hallelujah"
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a musical composition that uses the word Hallelujah as its text
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of hallelujah
First recorded in 1525–35; from Hebrew halĕlûyāh “praise Yahweh,” from halĕlû (masculine imperative plural of hīlēl “to praise”) + -yāh Yahweh
Explanation
Hallelujah is both an exclamation –- Hallelujah! –- and what that act of exclaiming is called. When hallelujahs ring through the church, a lot of people are yelling "hallelujah!" Kind of like "bingo!" in the church basement. Hallelujah came into English through Latin and Greek, but originally comes from Hebrew, where it means "praise the lord." In spite of traveling through those languages, hallelujah's meaning has not changed. Remember that the "j" in hallelujah is pronounced like a "y."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Viking god Erling Haaland gave a hallelujah to the briny magic of a Katz’s pastrami.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
It allowed me to sing hallelujah in the Lenten season,” referring to the run-up to Easter.
From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2025
Allahu Akbar means God is great – the Muslim equivalent of hallelujah.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2024
Animated horror films intended for adults don’t come around often these days, so I’m stoked to shout hallelujah for this very funny, stupidly gory horror-comedy from the “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” co-creator Matthew Maiellaro.
From New York Times ● Jun. 23, 2023
He raised his arms above his head and yelled hallelujah.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Now, meaning Monday afternoon, when Lincoln Riley shows up for his introductory news conference amid home runs, buzzer-beaters, Hail Marys and hallelujahs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 28, 2021
Many minutes later, the choir completes a vigorous round of “Selah” hallelujahs, trades embraces, and disperses.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2019
Franklin’s funeral was unapologetically black: ringing oratory from a rainbow of celebrities, friends, family members and preachers’ amens and hallelujahs caroming off the rafters of Detroit’s Greater Grace Temple.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 31, 2018
It should always be quite something when Saul gets knocked off his horse a little farther down this road, but “A.D.” suffers, as a TV show, when its hallelujahs verge on hokey.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 3, 2015
The church ladies were warming up behind me with a few hallelujahs and Praise the Lords and Amens, and the preacher hadn’t really moved into the meat of the sermon.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
