variants or less commonly hoo-hah
informal
: a state or condition of excitement, agitation, or disturbance : commotion, uproar
… she wore the jacket again … —wore it unapologetically knowing all the hoo-ha it had caused …Vanessa Friedman
"I remember one time there was a big hoo-hah about a rare bird."Lee Child

Examples of hoo-ha in a Sentence

the media hoo-ha that inevitably occurs when a politician makes a gaffe, no matter how inconsequential
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But underneath that hoo-ha hysteria is their real question, the anxious quandary that seems to drive their anger and fear as society changes around them. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably from Yiddish hu-ha uproar, exclamation of surprise

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hoo-ha was in 1931

Dictionary Entries Near hoo-ha

Cite this Entry

“Hoo-ha.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoo-ha. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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