Word of the Day

: July 27, 2025

brouhaha

noun BROO-hah-hah

What It Means

Brouhaha is a synonym of both uproar and hubbub that refers to great excitement or concern about something.

// A brouhaha erupted over the bill, even though the opposing party stood to gain just as much from its passage.

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brouhaha in Context

“Ultimately, like much of the population, [mountain lion] P-22 seemed to be making do with what he had. His crawl-space sit-in, which dominated the local news media for a couple of days, felt like a moment of accommodation. In the face of feeble attempts to get him to move—lights were flashed, sticks were waved, a tennis-ball cannon was deployed—P-22 stared out with an imperturbable expression that members of cat households recognized instantly. It said, ‘What?’ At night, once the brouhaha had died down, P-22 slipped back into the park.” — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2023

Did You Know?

The English language borrowed brouhaha directly from French in the late 19th century, but its origins beyond that are uncertain—not the subject of a noisy brouhaha but perhaps a little modest debate. What’s less arguable is that brouhaha is fun to say, as are many of its synonyms, including hubbub, williwaw, hullabaloo, bobbery, and kerfuffle. Many of these, like brouhaha, tend to suggest a certain judgment that the reason for all the foofaraw is a bit silly, or at least not worth getting all worked up about. A dad joke, for example, might cause a brouhaha, even though it’s really no reason for an uproar to brew. Haha!