brouhaha

noun

brou·​ha·​ha ˈbrü-ˌhä-ˌhä 

ˌbrü-ˌhä-ˈhä,

brü-ˈhä-ˌhä

: hubbub, uproar

A brouhaha erupted over her statements.

Did you know?

The English language borrowed brouhaha directly from French in the late 18th century, but its origins beyond that are uncertain—not quite the subject of noisy brouhaha but perhaps more 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. And many of these, also 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 raise some brouhaha, even though it’s really no reason for an uproar to brew. Haha!

Examples of brouhaha in a Sentence

A brouhaha erupted over her statements about the president.

There's been a lot of brouhaha about her statements.

Recent Examples on the Web

After the lights went down, the hope was that the brouhaha happening outside the theater would fade into the background and all that would matter would be what was happening onscreen. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2025

And despite the brouhaha that has surrounded the amnesty deal, Sánchez’s approach to Catalonia has been undeniably successful. —Omar G. Encarnación, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2023

But the brouhaha about Commissioner Todd Weaver’s 67-year-old lakefront home looks likely to continue. —Silas Morgan, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025

The brouhaha started after Ye temporarily posted a message online claiming Lemon started the rumor that he and Bianca Censori were booted from the event over her au naturel stunt in Los Angeles, according to the Daily Beast. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

brouhaha

noun

brou·​ha·​ha

ˈbrü-ˌhä-ˌhä

: uproar, hubbub