hallelujah
Americaninterjection
noun
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an exclamation of “hallelujah!”
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a shout of joy, praise, or gratitude.
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a musical composition wholly or principally based upon the word “hallelujah.”
interjection
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an exclamation of praise to God
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an expression of relief or a similar emotion
noun
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an exclamation of "Hallelujah"
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a musical composition that uses the word Hallelujah as its text
Etymology
Origin of hallelujah
First recorded in 1525–35; from Hebrew halĕlûyāh “praise Yahweh,” from halĕlû (masculine imperative plural of hīlēl “to praise”) + -yāh Yahweh
Explanation
Hallelujah is both an exclamation –- Hallelujah! –- and what that act of exclaiming is called. When hallelujahs ring through the church, a lot of people are yelling "hallelujah!" Kind of like "bingo!" in the church basement. Hallelujah came into English through Latin and Greek, but originally comes from Hebrew, where it means "praise the lord." In spite of traveling through those languages, hallelujah's meaning has not changed. Remember that the "j" in hallelujah is pronounced like a "y."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It allowed me to sing hallelujah in the Lenten season,” referring to the run-up to Easter.
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2025
“The contemporary Black art and the Black art boom, which I’m all for — more power to you, hallelujah — a lot of it is heavy-handed and overt and I’m not interested in that. “
From New York Times • Jul. 18, 2023
To borrow from his lyrics, it was a cold and a broken hallelujah.
From Washington Times • May 15, 2023
And here Farrell turns into a one-man hallelujah chorus.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2023
A little choir of voices in my head was singing, “Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!”
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
