hoo-ha

American

[hoo-hah, hoo-hah] / ˈhuˌhɑ, ˌhuˈhɑ /

Or hoo-hah

noun

an uproarious commotion.

interjection

(used to express mock surprise or excitement.)

hoo-ha British

/ ˈhuːˌhɑː /

noun

a noisy commotion or fuss

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hoo-ha

1930–35; probably < Yiddish hu-ha to-do, uproar, exclamation of surprise; compare Polish hu-ha exclamation of joy

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.

Speaking to the BBC, Badenoch criticised Reeves for "making a hoo-ha about being the first woman to present a Budget".

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025

The questions spiral from there and go even to one seldom asked around Olympics: Why all this big hoo-ha over hoarding medals, anyway?

From Washington Post • Aug. 6, 2021

But it’s not exactly a departure: Once again two teens fall for each other amid supernatural hoo-ha, and once again it’s set against a backdrop of swooning, Instagram-ready beauty.

From Slate • Jan. 16, 2020

“For all the carry on and hoo-ha you hear from the United States, it actually has the lowest rates of concussion of any of these sports,” he said.

From New York Times • Sep. 26, 2019

Mr. Taylor wound up calling my friend SJ's mom, Mrs. Friedman—an attorney—and she had to come bark a bunch of legal hoo-ha in the cops' faces before they'd undo the cuffs.

From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023