brouhaha

[ broo-hah-hah, broo-hah-hah, broo-hah-hah ]

noun

1. excited public interest, discussion, or the like, as the clamor attending some sensational event; hullabaloo:

   The brouhaha followed disclosures of graft at City Hall.

2. an episode involving excitement, confusion, turmoil, etc., especially a broil over a minor or ridiculous cause:

   A brouhaha by the baseball players resulted in three black eyes.

brouhaha

/ ˈbruːhɑːhɑː /

noun

1. a loud confused noise; commotion; uproar

Word History and Origins

Origin of brouhaha¹

First recorded in 1885–90; from French, originally, brou, ha, ha! exclamation used by characters representing the devil in16th-century drama; perhaps from Hebrew, distortion of the recited phrase bārūkh habbā (beshēm ădōnai) “blessed is he who comes (in the name of the Lord)” (Psalms 118:26)

Word History and Origins

Origin of brouhaha¹

French, of imitative origin

Example Sentences

But he decided to tackle some of the questions about racial identity that emerged from the casting brouhaha in his play “Face Value,” a spectacular flop that closed in previews on Broadway in 1993.

From Los Angeles Times

As a punk rock diehard, he was ready to party in a fashion that suited him best: a backyard brouhaha.

From Los Angeles Times

Where I disagree with both Trump’s defenders and many media critics in this brouhaha is that I don’t think the press is being dishonest in interpreting Trump’s use of the word.

From Los Angeles Times

Its co-founder, Bridget Ziegler, and her husband, Christian Ziegler, have been embroiled in a brouhaha over a threesome they had with another woman.

From Los Angeles Times

The brouhaha was so big that members of the main opposition Kuomintang party, or KMT, walked out of the venue, per reports from Taiwan.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• fracas
• melee