hooray

1 of 2

interjection

hoo·​ray hu̇-ˈrā How to pronounce hooray (audio)
variants or less commonly hurrah
hu̇-ˈrȯ
-ˈrä How to pronounce hooray (audio)
or hurray
Synonyms of hooraynext
used to express joy, approval, or encouragement
Hip, hip, hooray!
Hooray! I got the job!

hurrah

2 of 2

noun

hur·​rah hu̇-ˈrȯ How to pronounce hurrah (audio)
-ˈrä;
ˈhü-ˌrȯ
-ˌrä
variants or less commonly hooray or hoorah
hu̇-ˈrä How to pronounce hurrah (audio)
-ˈrȯ

Synonyms of hooray

Examples of hooray in a Sentence

Interjection Hooray!” he cried when he heard that his team had won
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.
Interjection
So academics on the left and newspapers and so on, essentially saying that the American Revolution was all about slavery and that Britain was allowing the slaves to be freed, and all of this, so hooray for Britain, which was a very improbable development. Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026 The series was expressly marked as preparation for Australia’s full tour in 2027 (hooray, finally some selection foresight), but those runs might not go unnoticed in the more immediate future. Sam Dalling, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
The final hurrah with the World Cup at stake. Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 31 May 2026 The last hurrah was a free agent spending spree designed to conquer the Dallas Cowboys that resulted in their last championship following the 1994 season, enabling Steve Young to escape the shadow of Joe Montana with a 49-26 win over the San Diego Chargers in Miami. Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hooray

Word History

Etymology

Interjection

perhaps from German hurra

First Known Use

Interjection

1686, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hooray was in 1686

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hooray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hooray. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

hooray

interjection
hoo·​ray hu̇-ˈrā How to pronounce hooray (audio)
variants also hurrah
-ˈrȯ How to pronounce hooray (audio)
-ˈrä
or hurray
used to express joy, approval, or encouragement
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