Hullabaloo

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Hullabaloo

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun

Pronunciation

hul-uh-buh-LOO  /ˌhʌləbəˈluː/

Definition

A loud, confused noise; a commotion or uproar; a fuss or excited public reaction to something.

Plain meaning

A hullabaloo is a big fuss or noisy commotion — the kind of uproar that surrounds a scandal, a controversy, or an exciting event. There was quite a hullabaloo about the new policy. The word is informal and slightly comic in tone, suggesting noise and excitement that may not be entirely warranted.

Register

Informal and slightly comic. Hullabaloo is used in journalism and conversation to describe public excitement or controversy with a mild suggestion that the fuss is overdone. It belongs to a family of similar-sounding English words for commotion including ruckus, kerfuffle, brouhaha, and palaver.