hallelujah

IPA/ˌhælɪˈluːjə/
KK[hˌæləlˈujə]IPA/ˌhælɪˈluːjə/

hallelujah — exclamation

1. a word shouted or sung to express joy, praise, and thanks to God, especially in

1.exclamationB2
Definition

a word shouted or sung to express joy, praise, and thanks to God, especially in Christian worship.

Example

The choir sang "Hallelujah" at the end of the Easter service, and the whole congregation joined in.

common in Christian worship settings

Miriam raised her hands and shouted "Hallelujah!" when the pastor announced the aid had arrived.

standalone exclamation of joy and thanks

Common collocations
  • sing Hallelujah
  • shout Hallelujah
  • cry Hallelujah
Synonyms
  • praise the Lord

    more formal and explicitly Christian; 'hallelujah' is a single-word exclamation

  • amen

    used to agree with a prayer or statement rather than to praise directly

Grammar Patterns

standalone exclamation

Usage Note

Frequently used in religious music and spoken worship. Often repeated for emphasis. The word comes from Hebrew and literally means 'praise the Lord'.

Common Mistakes

I said hallelujah to my friend on the street.
I said hello to my friend on the street.
'Hallelujah' is a religious/cultural exclamation, not a greeting.

2. used humorously to express relief or satisfaction when something happens that yo

2.exclamationB2
Definition

used humorously to express relief or satisfaction when something happens that you were beginning to doubt would ever happen — for example, finding lost keys, or a long-awaited delivery finally arriving.

Example

Mei-Lin searched for twenty minutes before she found her passport. "Hallelujah!" she cried, holding it up.

standalone exclamation of ironic relief

After three hours of trying to fix the printer, Omar finally saw it print. He whispered "Hallelujah" under his breath.

humorous relief after effort

Common collocations
  • whisper Hallelujah
  • say Hallelujah
  • mutter Hallelujah
Synonyms
  • finally!

    less dramatic and without religious reference; the most neutral alternative

  • at last!

    similar meaning but slightly more formal than the ironic 'hallelujah'

  • thank heavens

    keeps the mild religious metaphor but is a fixed everyday phrase

Grammar Patterns

standalone exclamation

Usage Note

This is an informal, often humorous or ironic use. The speaker does not mean religious praise — they are imitating the religious exclamation for comic effect in everyday situations. Common in conversation and social media, but not in formal writing.

Common Mistakes

Writing 'Hallelujah!' in a formal business email when a deal closes.
Use 'Great news!' or 'Fantastic!' instead
the ironic use is too informal for professional correspondence.

hallelujah — noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: exclamation/1

'Hallelujah', 'amen', and 'praise the Lord' are all expressions used in Christian worship, but they serve different functions. 'Hallelujah' is an exclamation of joy and praise directed at God—it celebrates something good that has happened. 'Amen' expresses agreement or affirmation, typically at the end of a prayer ('We ask this in your name, amen'), and is more about concurrence than praise. 'Praise the Lord' is a fuller phrase that explicitly names God and is often used as a spontaneous reaction to good news in more evangelical settings. 'Hallelujah' is the most musical of the three—it appears in hymns and choral works—and its ironic everyday use (sense 2) gives it a broader conversational range than the other two.

hallelujah ↗amen ↗praise the Lord

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • shout hallelujah
  • sing hallelujah
  • cry hallelujah

Etymology

HebrewGreekLatinEnglish

From the Hebrew phrase 'hallelu Yah,' meaning 'praise the Lord' (hallelu = praise, Yah = short form of Yahweh, the Hebrew name for God). The word entered English through Latin and Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible, and became widely known through Christian liturgical music, especially Handel's Messiah (1741).