hoo-ha

American

[hoo-hah, hoo-hah] / ˈhuˌhɑ, ˌhuˈhɑ /

Or hoo-hah

noun

an uproarious commotion.

interjection

(used to express mock surprise or excitement.)

hoo-ha British

/ ˈhuːˌhɑː /

noun

a noisy commotion or fuss

"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

Etymology

Origin of hoo-ha

1930–35; probably < Yiddish hu-ha to-do, uproar, exclamation of surprise; compare Polish hu-ha exclamation of joy

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.

Amick also mentioned the beer and hookah hoo-ha, which triggered a flood of headlines.

From Los Angeles Times

"There was a great big hoo-ha about it because most of the London trade who deal with modern British art flew in to see it and make bids," he said.

From BBC

The questions spiral from there and go even to one seldom asked around Olympics: Why all this big hoo-ha over hoarding medals, anyway?

From Washington Post

After all the hoo-ha and costs involved in creating the contact-tracing apps last year, you might think that a very brave decision.

From BBC

Many Republicans treat precautions as knock-kneed liberal hoo-ha.

From Fox News

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023