ballyhoo

/ˌbæliˈhuː/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈælihˈu] /ˈbælihuː/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈælihˈu] /ˈba-lē-ˌhü How to pronounce ballyhoo (audio)/ (ame, mw)

ballyhoo — noun

1. loud, showy fuss around something, with plenty of movement and talk but little r

1.名詞C2
釋義

loud, showy fuss around something, with plenty of movement and talk but little real value behind it

例句

Reporters, balloons, and brass drums filled the square with pure ballyhoo.

scene-building noun: ballyhoo = loud fuss

Outside the stadium, street sellers and drums added ballyhoo before kickoff.

同義詞
  • commotion

    focuses more on noisy movement or confusion than on showy display

  • fuss

    is broader and can describe smaller, less public noise

  • hoopla

    is informal and often sounds playful or slightly mocking

反義詞
  • calm

    suggests the event happens without noisy excitement

文法句型

all the ballyhoo

cut through the ballyhoo

a week of ballyhoo

用法筆記

Usually uncountable. This sense is about the noisy fuss itself; sense 2 is more specifically about publicity planned to attract attention.

2. flashy publicity meant to make a person, product, or event seem unusually exciti

2.名詞C2
釋義

flashy publicity meant to make a person, product, or event seem unusually exciting or important

例句

The streaming service built weeks of ballyhoo before the detective series premiered.

weeks of ballyhoo before a launch

Investors ignored the ballyhoo around the app and asked about its profits.

ballyhoo around + product

同義詞
  • hype

    is more informal and more strongly suggests exaggeration

  • publicity

    is neutral and does not always imply showy noise

  • promotion

    is broader and can include quiet marketing work as well

反義詞

文法句型

ballyhoo around + something

create ballyhoo for + something

weeks of ballyhoo

用法筆記

Usually points to promotion that is deliberate and attention-seeking. Unlike sense 1, this sense centers on publicity rather than on general noisy excitement.

常見錯誤

❌The company made many ballyhoos about the new phone.
✅The company created a lot of ballyhoo around the new phone.
💡This noun is usually uncountable, so it normally does not take a plural form.