ballyhoo
[noun bal-ee-hoo; verb bal-ee-hoo, bal-ee-hoo]
noun, plural bal·ly·hoos.
a clamorous and vigorous attempt to win customers or advance any cause; blatant advertising or publicity.
clamor or outcry.
a halfbeak, Hemiramphus brasiliensis, inhabiting both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
verb (used with or without object), bal·ly·hooed, bal·ly·hoo·ing.
to advertise or push by ballyhoo.
Origin of ballyhoo
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; of uncertain origin
Synonyms for ballyhoo
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for ballyhooed
laud, proclaim, praise, publicize, promote, trumpet, offer, encourage, introduce, benefit, push, further, boost, disclose, exhibit, reveal, communicate, tout, sponsor, endorseExamples from the Web for ballyhooed
Contemporary Examples of ballyhooed
None of the candidates in the ballyhooed “commander-in-chief debate” in South Carolina offered a very commanding performance.
The truth of the matter is that England, for all its ballyhooed history, is a minor traditional power.
Historical Examples of ballyhooed
The show was ballyhooed the whole week while the work went on.
Prologue to an AnalogueLeigh Richmond
I confessed how I ballyhooed at the door of an embroidery shop whenever a ship loosed English passengers for a two-hour visit.
Where the Pavement EndsJohn Russell
Jim was stupefied to find himself once more pilloried and portraited and ballyhooed in the newspapers.
We Can't Have EverythingRupert Hughes
ballyhoo
noun informal
verb -hoos, -hooing or -hooed
Word Origin for ballyhoo
C19: of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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ballyhoo
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper