hullabaloo
Americannoun
plural
hullabaloosnoun
Usage
What does hullabaloo mean? A hullabaloo is an uproar or a noisy commotion, especially the sound of a bunch of people shouting in protest about something.A hullabaloo doesn’t have to be literally noisy—the word can also be used to refer to all the talk and commentary surrounding a controversy, such as on social media. Because hullabaloo sounds a little silly, it’s often used to be funny.Example: There was a big hullabaloo at the parents’ meeting when it was announced that brownies wouldn’t be allowed at the bake sale.
Etymology
Origin of hullabaloo
1750–60; apparently variant of haloobaloo, rhyming compound based on Scots baloo lullaby
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.
For a while, Mann said concern around the bathroom project had faded, but the “hullabaloo” resurfaced as the project started to move forward recently.
From Los Angeles Times
As Baron points out, the scientific method often fell by the wayside amid the hullabaloo.
From Los Angeles Times
But no matter how obnoxious all of the hullabaloo was, it was a blessing in disguise.
From Salon
But after seeing all this hullabaloo, I thought I'd take my first crack at the season of self-inflicted suffering — in the name of journalism, not Jesus.
From Salon
Just imagine the hullabaloo if Worrall is part of the England squad this time next year.
From BBC
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.