hurrah

American  

[huh-rah, -raw] / həˈrɑ, -ˈrɔ /

Also hurray

interjection

1. (used as an exclamation of joy, exultation, appreciation, encouragement, or the like.)

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verb (used without object)

1. to shout “hurrah.”

noun

hurrahs plural

1. an exclamation of “hurrah.”

2. hubbub; commotion; fanfare.

3. a colorful or tumultuous event; spectacle or celebration.

   We celebrated the centennial with a three-day hurrah.

idioms

1. last / final hurrah, a final moment or occasion of glory or achievement.

   The new play will be her last hurrah as an actress before she retires.

hurrah British  

/ huːˈreɪ, hʊˈrɑː, hʊˈreɪ /

interjection

1. a cheer of joy, victory, etc

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verb

1. to shout "hurrah"

Usage

What does hurrah mean? Hurrah is a word to shout when you want to celebrate something. Hurrah is an interjection, meaning it’s a term used to express emotion, often outside of a sentence. Hurrah is sometimes spelled hoorah. Similar and related words are hooray, hurray, and huzzah. All of these words are used in the same way—as a celebratory exclamation (something to shout in celebration). Hurrah started as something to shout out loud, but today it’s probably pretty rare for people to literally shout “Hurrah!” (It sounds a bit old-timey, and people are more into yelling woo! and woo-hoo!) But hurrah is still often used as an interjection in informal, conversational writing, such as social media posts and texts. To show appreciation for something in particular, you might write hurrah for followed by that thing, as in Hurrah for three-day weekends!Hurrah can be used as a verb meaning to shout hurrah or to celebrate, as in They were hurrahed for their bravery. It can also be used to refer to a cheer of hurrah (as in a big hurrah from the crowd), commotion or fanfare (as in There was much hurrah following the announcement), or a showy spectacle or celebration (as in We’ll have a big hurrah to celebrate). Hurrah is also part of the common phrase last hurrah, meaning a final attempt, competition, performance, success, or celebration before something ends, such as a career. Example: Hurrah! The package I ordered is here!

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hurrahs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hurrah

First recorded in 1680–90; from German hurra

Example Sentences

So I'm not foreign to the stage when it comes to dramatic acting, man, and being able to go there, because I was in Hurrah Players, theater troupes, all in Virginia.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2023

Today, it is the home of the Hurrah Players theatrical group.

From Washington Post • Nov. 5, 2021

But that space was slick while the Mudd Club was proudly sleazy; and Hurrah was centered on the bands who performed.

From New York Times • Jul. 18, 2018

Her work has inevitably led to comparisons with other "mummy bloggers", like The Unmumsy Mum and Hurrah for Gin, who have both both been snapped up by publishers since starting blogs.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2017

"Running for home! Hurrah for Narnia and the North!" said the other.

From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis