hoopla

noun

plural hooplas
1
chiefly US, informal + often disapproving : excited or agitated commotion or activity : bustle
… make sure that children who have birthdays around the holidays don't get their birthday celebration lost in the holiday hoopla.Samara Kalk Derby
Seville is a place that offers many artists who call it home a chance to work quietly, away from the hoopla of Madrid.Deborah Gimelson
The reality star who each year makes a big hoopla as she turns one year older …Rebecca Cukier
also : agitated, excited, or angry discussion : fuss
… despite all the hoopla about susceptibility of automobile companies to … hacking, this is yet another … exploit that (would have) required hands-on intervention to succeed. David Booth
2
chiefly US, informal + often disapproving : extravagant promotion or publicity : ballyhoo
Watch out for hoopla surrounding the fourth Batman movie, which hits theaters this summer.Zillions
The November arrival of the nouveau on these shores … was accompanied by the normal amount of hoopla and hype intended to whip up consumer interest in the young wine.Terry Robards
also : an event or occasion featuring hoopla
Music fans have become incredibly savvy about the big live hooplas and announcements … Jim Carroll
"San Diego [Comic Con] is a big hoopla," [Alan] Pamoleras said … Jessica Dolcourt

Did you know?

In French, the interjection houp-là is used roughly the same way as English’s upsy-daisy or whoops-a-daisy, as one might say when picking up a toddler who has fallen down on their bottom to assure them that their tumble is not a big deal. When the word was borrowed into English, however, it referred to a kind of excited or agitated commotion, synonymous with other h-words including hoo-ha, hubbub, and hullabaloo. Hoopla later gained a sense referring to hype, especially of the kind marketing execs cook up for the release of a new product. Both senses can carry with them a whiff of disapproval. If you’re calling something hoopla—whether it’s the bustle of activity around a holiday or the promotional buzz around a new movie—chances are you want to convey to others that the cause of the fuss may not be such a big deal.

Examples of hoopla in a Sentence

Many people have grown tired of all the hoopla surrounding the opening of the new theater. for all of the hoopla, very little news emerged from the governor's press conference this afternoon
Recent Examples on the Web
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Training camp won’t bring hoopla, only football-specific conversation. Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 23 July 2024 While there appears to be some hoopla over unwanted sing-a-longs, fans of the musical will be able to attend screenings of the movie held with audience participation in mind. Tommy McArdle, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024 The hoopla around her speaking voice is hardly the first time Grande has had to battle public perception of her. Zack Sharf, Variety, 30 Sep. 2024 Modi: Bills -6 Lost in the hoopla around Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa going down against the Bills in their first matchup of the year is the fact that Buffalo utterly dominated that game even before Tua got hurt. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hoopla 

Word History

Etymology

French houp-là, interjection

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hoopla was in 1877

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Dictionary Entries Near hoopla

Cite this Entry

“Hoopla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoopla. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

hoopla

noun
hoop·​la
ˈhü-ˌplä,
ˈhu̇-
informal
1
: bustle
also : fuss
often used disapprovingly
2
: extravagant claims made for publicity
often used disapprovingly
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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