hullabaloo

noun

hul·​la·​ba·​loo ˈhə-lə-bə-ˌlü How to pronounce hullabaloo (audio)
plural hullabaloos
1
informal : a loud, continued noise or mixture of noises : din
Why do roosters crow? If they're like insects and frogs, that hullabaloo is an ad for a mate …Discover
Somebody heard the splash and they raised an awful hullabaloo. 'He's gone! Lower the boats! …'Joseph Conrad
… Hunt and her pack of highly trained dogs set off a hellacious hullabaloo, yelling and barking, discharging firecrackers …Christine Paige
2
informal : a state of commotion, excitement, or violent disturbance : uproar, fuss
Would there be such a hullabaloo about the violence in her books if they had been written by a man?Laura Z. Hobson
Sunday was a big day for the Philadelphia Phillies mascot … . It was his 40th birthday, and there was a big hullabaloo.Liz Roscher
There's been a lot of hullabaloo recently about the effects that grapefruit can have on certain meds.Chanie Kirschner
When I heard the series would finally be available to stream on Hulu, I decided to finally see what all the hullabaloo was about.Josh Sorokach

Examples of hullabaloo in a Sentence

The announcement caused quite a hullabaloo. The announcement caused a lot of hullabaloo. There was a hullabaloo over his controversial statements. There was a lot of hullabaloo over his controversial statements.
Recent Examples on the Web And from the perch of the roof at Cafe Benelux, diners have an overhead view of all the hullabaloo below. Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024 When the recipe first blew up, Mariko didn't pay attention to the hullabaloo. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 20 Feb. 2024 Prompting as much hullabaloo as hype, Scotland’s first W hotel will debut as part of the lively St James Quarter. Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Jan. 2024 And Four Seasons, secluded on the southwest coast of the island, would be devoid of all the unwanted hullabaloo that might arise at a bar in a major city like L.A or New York, where such marketing stunts often take place. Anna Tingley, Variety, 27 Oct. 2023 Some vocal critics have derided all the hullabaloo about Milstein’s demolition plans. James McClain, Robb Report, 22 Sep. 2023 Who can forget all the hullabaloo surrounding Don’t Worry Darling at last year’s fest? Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2023 This month’s hullabaloo was caused by the risky behavior of a few institutions, rather than the collapse of a sector of the economy, like when the housing bubble burst in 2008. Diti Kohli, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Mar. 2023 While there’s been a lot of hullabaloos about the quiet-luxury trend, there’s not that much actual whispering on the runways. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 28 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hullabaloo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from hallo + Scots balloo, interjection used to hush children

First Known Use

1762, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hullabaloo was in 1762

Dictionary Entries Near hullabaloo

Cite this Entry

“Hullabaloo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hullabaloo. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hullabaloo

noun
hul·​la·​ba·​loo ˈhəl-ə-bə-ˌlü How to pronounce hullabaloo (audio)
plural hullabaloos
: uproar, din

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