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View synonyms for hullabaloo

hullabaloo

[ huhl-uh-buh-loo ]

noun

, plural hul·la·ba·loos.
  1. a clamorous noise or disturbance; uproar.


hullabaloo

/ ˌhʌləbəˈluː /

noun

  1. loud confused noise, esp of protest; commotion
“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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of hullabaloo1

1750–60; apparently variant of haloobaloo, rhyming compound based on Scots baloo lullaby
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Word History and Origins

Origin of hullabaloo1

C18: perhaps from interjection hallo + Scottish baloo lullaby
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Example Sentences

Just imagine the hullabaloo if Worrall is part of the England squad this time next year.

From BBC

Robert Plant told me a few years ago that you were once known to make “a complete hullabaloo” while warming up your voice before a show.

There’s even a leap second occasionally, but there’s no hullabaloo when that happens.

Many of the people I interviewed had arrived when OpenAI was a nonprofit research lab, before the ChatGPT hullabaloo — when most of us had never heard of the company.

“You just try to take it one game at a time,” Jason Kelce said, using that well-worn cliché to describe the way he handles the hullabaloo.

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More About Hullabaloo

What does hullabaloo mean?

A hullabaloo is an uproar or a noisy commotion, especially the sound of a bunch of people shouting in protest about something.

A hullabaloo doesn’t have to be literally noisy—the word can also be used to refer to all the talk and commentary surrounding a controversy, such as on social media. Because hullabaloo sounds a little silly, it’s often used to be funny.

Example: There was a big hullabaloo at the parents’ meeting when it was announced that brownies wouldn’t be allowed at the bake sale.

Where does hullabaloo come from?

The first records of hullabaloo come from the mid-1700s. It may come from a rhyming combination of the interjection halloo and the Scots word baloo, meaning “lullaby.”

A hullabaloo is a far cry from a soothing lullaby, though. Typically, the word refers to a rowdy, raucous ruckus—picture a bunch of people shouting at a public meeting with someone banging a gavel trying to get them to quiet down. But the noise doesn’t have to be literal. Hullabaloo can also refer collectively to all the comments and conflicting opinions about a controversial topic, especially in a context in which those comments can be observed by a lot of people, such as in the media or on social networks. There are a lot of ways to say the same thing, like hubbub, uproar, clamor, furor, ruckus, and the just-as-fun-to-say brouhaha.

Did you know ... ?

What are some synonyms for hullabaloo?

What are some words that often get used in discussing hullabaloo?

 

How is hullabaloo used in real life?

Hullabaloo is commonly used to refer to an uproar about something, whether literally loud or just involving a lot of people’s opinions.

 

 

Try using hullabaloo!

Which of the following words is LEAST likely to describe a hullabaloo?

A. loud
B. noisy
C. calm
D. indignant

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