williwaw

williwaw

noun

Definition of WILLIWAW

1

a state of noisy, confused activity <the surprise verdict of the jury created a wild williwaw as reporters rushed to file their stories>

Synonyms ado, alarums and excursions, ballyhoo, blather, bluster, bobbery, bother, bustle, clatter, clutter [chiefly dialect], coil, corroboree [Australian], disturbance, do [chiefly dialect], foofaraw, fun, furor, furore, fuss, helter-skelter, hoo-ha (also hoo-hah), hoopla, hubble-bubble, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly, hurly-burly, hurricane, hurry, hurry-scurry (or hurry-skurry), kerfuffle [chiefly British], moil, pandemonium, pother, row, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, splore [Scottish], squall, stew, stir, storm, to-do, tumult, turmoil, uproar, welter, whirl, williwaw, zoo

Related Words cacophony, clamor, din, howl, hue and cry, noise, outcry, racket, roar; disorder, unrest, upheaval; eruption, flare-up, flurry, flutter, outbreak, outburst; brawl, fracas, fray, hassle, melee (also mêlée), scuffle; dither, fever, fret, lather, tizzy

Near Antonyms calm, hush, peace, quiet, quietude, rest, stillness, tranquillity (or tranquility); order, orderliness

2

a sudden brief rush of wind <a williwaw rose up seemingly out of nowhere and wreaked havoc with our campsite>

Synonyms blast, blow, flurry, scud, williwaw, windblast

Related Words breeze, zephyr; current, draft; air, breath, waft; puff, whiff; bluster, gale, hurricane, squall, tempest, tornado, windstorm; northeaster, norther, northerly, northwester, southeaster, southwester, westerly