Standard Lemma guide

brouhaha

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈbɹuː.hɑː.hɑː/
  • US: /ˈbruˌhɑˌhɑ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B R UW1 HH AA0 HH AA2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A stir; a fuss or uproar.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • It caused quite a brouhaha when the school suspended one of its top students for refusing to adhere to the dress code.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: commotion, hubbub, kerfuffle, ado, argy-bargy, bangarang, bobbery, brouhaha, bunfight, bustle, bust-up, chaos, ferment, clamour, clatter, disruption, disturbance, flap, flutter, foofaraw, fracas, furor, fuss, hobbleshaw, hoo-ha, hoo-hah, hullabaloo, hurly-burly, mayhem, merry hell, outcry, palaver, pandemonium, pother, quarrel, riot, rowdydow, ruckus, rumpus, shemozzle, shindy, splatterdash, stir, stooshie, three-ring circus, to-do, tomfoolery, trouble, tumult, turmoil, unrest, uproar, upstir

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a confused disturbance far greater than its cause merits

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: furor, furore

3

noun

Meaning 3

loud confused noise from many sources

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hubbub, uproar, katzenjammer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: noise

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French brouhaha, but disputed as to where from before that. Possibly from Hebrew בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא (barúkh habá, “welcome”, literally “blessed is he who comes”).

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَجِيج (ʕajīj) — fuss, uproar
  • Arabic: ضَجِيج (ḍajīj) — fuss, uproar
  • Arabic: هَرْج (harj) — fuss, uproar
  • Catalan: gatzara — fuss, uproar
  • Catalan: aldarull — fuss, uproar
  • Catalan: cridòria — fuss, uproar
  • Catalan: rebombori — fuss, uproar
  • Catalan: brogit — fuss, uproar
  • Catalan: avalot — fuss, uproar
  • Finnish: kohu — fuss, uproar
  • French: brouhaha — fuss, uproar
  • German: Aufruhr — fuss, uproar
  • German: Aufregung — fuss, uproar
  • German: Theater — fuss, uproar
  • German: Tumult — fuss, uproar
  • Greek: οχλαγωγία (ochlagogía) — fuss, uproar
  • Greek: βαβούρα (vavoúra) — fuss, uproar
  • Hungarian: felzúdulás — fuss, uproar
  • Hungarian: cirkusz — fuss, uproar
  • Hungarian: patália — fuss, uproar
  • Japanese: 大騒ぎ (ōsawagi) — fuss, uproar
  • Persian: همهمه، غوغا — fuss, uproar
  • Polish: rejwach — fuss, uproar
  • Polish: wrzawa — fuss, uproar
  • Portuguese: bafafá — fuss, uproar
  • Russian: шуми́ха (šumíxa) — fuss, uproar
  • Russian: сенса́ция (sensácija) — fuss, uproar