hurrah
Americaninterjection
verb (used without object)
noun
-
an exclamation of “hurrah.”
-
hubbub; commotion; fanfare.
-
a colorful or tumultuous event; spectacle or celebration.
We celebrated the centennial with a three-day hurrah.
idioms
interjection
verb
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So I'm not foreign to the stage when it comes to dramatic acting, man, and being able to go there, because I was in Hurrah Players, theater troupes, all in Virginia.
From Salon • Apr. 11, 2023
Today, it is the home of the Hurrah Players theatrical group.
From Washington Post • Nov. 5, 2021
Then Schneider gave a tape to Jim Fouratt at Hurrah, a punk dance club where the B-52’s had been playing lately.
From Slate • Jul. 8, 2020
Back in the day, the Rousers were pulling in $1,000 a show at nightclubs like Hurrah.
From New York Times • Nov. 24, 2017
“That’s right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on.”
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
![]()
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.