ballyhoo
- 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.
- to advertise or push by ballyhoo.
Origin of ballyhoo
Synonyms for ballyhoo
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated 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
- a noisy, confused, or nonsensical situation or uproar
- sensational or blatant advertising or publicity
- (tr) mainly US to advertise or publicize by sensational or blatant methods
Word Origin for ballyhoo
Word Origin and History for ballyhooed
ballyhoo
"publicity, hype," 1908, from circus slang, "a short sample of a sideshow" (1901), of unknown origin. There is a village of Ballyhooly in County Cork, Ireland. In nautical lingo, ballahou or ballahoo (1867, perhaps 1836) meant "an ungainly vessel," from Spanish balahu "schooner."