ballyhoo

[ noun bal-ee-hoo; verb bal-ee-hoo, bal-ee-hoo ]

/ noun ˈbæl iˌhu; verb ˈbæl iˌhu, ˌbæl iˈhu /

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See synonyms for: ballyhoo / ballyhooed / ballyhooing on Thesaurus.com

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR ballyhoo

1 buildup, hoopla, fanfare; hype.

See synonyms for ballyhoo on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of ballyhoo

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ballyhoo in a sentence

The novel is a tautly paced thriller, but it also packs a searing satire of the much-ballyhooed modern world we live in.
The Author Of The Summer's Hit Paranoid Fantasy Opens Up|William O’Connor|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The film utilizes very long takes, include the much-ballyhooed 17-minute extended—and jaw-dropping—film opener.
Alfonso Cuarón on the Making of His Instant Sci-Fi Classic ‘Gravity’|Marlow Stern|October 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
None of the candidates in the ballyhooed “commander-in-chief debate” in South Carolina offered a very commanding performance.
Republican Debate Shows a Snoozy Field Stymied by Obama|Jacob Heilbrunn|November 13, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Many also pointed to this year's much-ballyhooed television ratings.
March Madness Race Wars and Jimmer Fredette|Buzz Bissinger|March 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST

It's certainly not the much ballyhooed July 2011 date, which will only begin withdrawals.
Four More Years of War|Leslie H. Gelb|October 24, 2010|DAILY BEAST
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 Ends|John Russell
Jim was stupefied to find himself once more pilloried and portraited and ballyhooed in the newspapers.
We Can't Have Everything|Rupert Hughes
The show was ballyhooed the whole week while the work went on.
Prologue to an Analogue|Leigh Richmond

British Dictionary definitions for ballyhoo

ballyhoo

/ (ˌbælɪˈhuː) /

noun informal

a noisy, confused, or nonsensical situation or uproar

sensational or blatant advertising or publicity

verb -hoos, -hooing or -hooed

(tr) mainly US to advertise or publicize by sensational or blatant methods

Word Origin for ballyhoo

C19: of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ballyhoo

OTHER WORDS FOR ballyhoo

Origin of ballyhoo

Words related to ballyhoo

How to use ballyhoo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ballyhoo

Word Origin for ballyhoo