What does hurray mean?
Hurray is an English exclamation of delight, triumph, or enthusiastic approval, usually written as “Hurray!” and commonly followed by the thing being celebrated. It is especially associated with announcements of good news, victories, and shared successes: “Hurray, we finished on time!” In less formal writing, it can be replaced by variants such as “hooray” and “hurrah,” while “bravo” and “well done” offer more emphatic praise. Hurray can also be used as a noun for the celebratory cry itself, though this use is less frequent. The word is informal and expressive rather than formal or neutral, and it often appears in direct speech, headlines, captions, and group celebrations. Its sound and spelling vary in related forms, but hurray is established in both British and American English. Because it communicates approval immediately and emphatically, it is useful when a sentence should sound spontaneous, festive, or communal.
An exclamation expressing delight, triumph, or enthusiastic approval.
"Hurray for finishing the marathon!"
Informal and celebratory in tone; it is especially natural in direct speech.
A shout or cry of joy or triumph.
"A loud hurray arose from the crowd."
The noun sense is less common than the interjection and often implies a collective cry.
The plural is used for separate celebratory cries.
"The spectators greeted the runners with hurrays."
Hurray is English’s victory cry: one small word that can turn an ordinary sentence into a celebration.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hurray come from?
Hurray is a spelling variant of hurrah, an English interjection attested from the early 17th century. The ultimate source of hurrah is uncertain: it has often been associated with German hurra and related celebratory cries such as huzza, but no single derivation is securely established. Hurray subsequently became an established alternative spelling in English, alongside hooray and hurra.
How hurray is actually used
Hurray is informal, expressive, and especially common in speech, celebratory writing, headlines, and captions. It is used in both British and American English, although hooray is particularly common in British usage.
Easily confused with hurray
Hurray is an expression of celebration, whereas harry means to torment, persecute, or repeatedly trouble someone.
Hurray expresses triumph or approval, while hurry means to move or act with increased speed.