hurrah

American  

[huh-rah, -raw] / həˈrɑ, -ˈrɔ /

Also hurray

interjection

1. (used as an exclamation of joy, exultation, appreciation, encouragement, or the like.)

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verb (used without object)

1. to shout “hurrah.”

noun

1. an exclamation of “hurrah.”

2. hubbub; commotion; fanfare.

3. a colorful or tumultuous event; spectacle or celebration.

   We celebrated the centennial with a three-day hurrah.

idioms

1. last / final hurrah, a final moment or occasion of glory or achievement.

   The new play will be her last hurrah as an actress before she retires.

hurrah British  

/ huːˈreɪ, hʊˈrɑː, hʊˈreɪ /

interjection

1. a cheer of joy, victory, etc

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verb

1. to shout "hurrah"

Usage

What does hurrah mean? Hurrah is a word to shout when you want to celebrate something.Hurrah is an interjection, meaning it’s a term used to express emotion, often outside of a sentence.Hurrah is sometimes spelled hoorah. Similar and related words are hooray, hurray, and huzzah. All of these words are used in the same way—as a celebratory exclamation (something to shout in celebration).Hurrah started as something to shout out loud, but today it’s probably pretty rare for people to literally shout “Hurrah!” (It sounds a bit old-timey, and people are more into yelling woo! and woo-hoo!) But hurrah is still often used as an interjection in informal, conversational writing, such as social media posts and texts. To show appreciation for something in particular, you might write hurrah for followed by that thing, as in Hurrah for three-day weekends!Hurrah can be used as a verb meaning to shout hurrah or to celebrate, as in They were hurrahed for their bravery. It can also be used to refer to a cheer of hurrah (as in a big hurrah from the crowd), commotion or fanfare (as in There was much hurrah following the announcement), or a showy spectacle or celebration (as in We’ll have a big hurrah to celebrate).Hurrah is also part of the common phrase last hurrah, meaning a final attempt, competition, performance, success, or celebration before something ends, such as a career.Example: Hurrah! The package I ordered is here!

Etymology

Origin of hurrah

First recorded in 1680–90; from German hurra

Example Sentences

Why the artificial-intelligence advertising spree could be the last hurrah — like the dot-coms in 2000.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

With confidence growing, the 27th and lowest-ranked team in the tournament are plotting one last hurrah -- a giant-killing against Group C leaders the West Indies in Kolkata on Wednesday.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

For some, it’s a last hurrah, the culmination of ideas that had been percolating for years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 4, 2025

There it now rests, along with any lingering hopes I might have had for one last hurrah.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025

Several people excitedly threw their hats into the air, some shouted what would have been a loud hurrah, and the rest pushed the heavy cannon into place.

From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster