ballyhoo

American  

[bal-ee-hoo, bal-ee-hoo, bal-ee-hoo] / ˈbæl iˌhu, ˈbæl iˌhu, ˌbæl iˈhu /

noun

plural

ballyhoos

1. a clamorous and vigorous attempt to win customers or advance any cause; blatant advertising or publicity.

   Synonyms:

   hype, fanfare, hoopla, buildup

2. clamor or outcry.

3. a halfbeak, Hemiramphus brasiliensis, inhabiting both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

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verb (used with or without object)

ballyhooed, ballyhooing

1. to advertise or push by ballyhoo.

ballyhoo British  

/ ˌbælɪˈhuː /

noun

1. a noisy, confused, or nonsensical situation or uproar

2. sensational or blatant advertising or publicity

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verb

1. (tr) to advertise or publicize by sensational or blatant methods

Etymology

Origin of ballyhoo

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; of uncertain origin

Explanation

The word ballyhoo is both a noun and a verb that refers to making a big, noisy fuss about something. Promoters might ballyhoo a new store opening by plastering the airwaves with ads and throwing a big parade on opening day. Ballyhoo is all about being loud and flashy, creating an attention-grabbing spectacle. The term originated in early 20th-century slang to describe the loud carnival barkers yelling out exaggerated pronouncements when trying to drum up a crowd for a sideshow or attraction. Over time, it came to mean any hype or commotion to promote something. Using the word as a noun, you could say, "Despite all the ballyhoo, the movie was a box office flop." As a verb, you might say, "The bookstore ballyhooed the arrival of the last book in the popular series."

Example Sentences

While Texas and Florida officials ballyhoo their border tightening efforts, no major immigration legislation has emerged this year in Arizona, where some of the nation’s toughest laws targeting immigrants have been devised.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2023

Los Angeles’ city fathers, so adept at ballyhoo, just hated it that the highfalutin’ town up the Arroyo Seco had thought up their big flowery promotional parade first.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2022

“That was one of the places that my father used to stand outside in his outfit to ballyhoo all these movies,” she recalled.

From New York Times • Mar. 4, 2022

No. 3 Georgia, a bout that stoked ballyhoo, thudded to a dud suspense-wise Friday night.

From Washington Post • Jan. 1, 2022

At eighteen he was a side show ballyhoo; later, the manager of the side show, and, soon after, the proprietor of a second-class vaudeville house.

From The Beautiful and Damned by Fitzgerald, F. Scott (Francis Scott)