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hubbub

hubbub

17 5.1
A loud, confused noise made by a crowd
  • noun
  • /ˈhʌbʌb/
translation icon : bullicio
  • The hubbub of the crowd made it hard to hear the speaker at the rally.

But I was very interested in all the hubbub around it.

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Examples

  • The large room was off the beaten path, away from the hubbub of the hotel lobby.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • All right, we have a couple minutes of hubbub before we get the tube out.

  • But I was very interested in all the hubbub around it.

  • What, because of a little hubbub in the street?

  • And to make sure, in all the hubbub, there are no missed opportunities.

  • So all this hubbub over that seems unlikely.

  • - What's all the hubbub in here?

  • And all around us is the hubbub of a free-market economy.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • There was a general hubbub of noise, like what you'd expect.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Lenora's thoughts were interrupted as the hubbub around her grew in strength.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

buzz
vshubbub
110 2.6

A lively scene of excited talk and activity among people

emphasizes the same mixed-source sound but with louder confusion
commotion
vshubbub
73 4.1

A noisy situation when people are excited or confused

highlights the same noisy mix but stresses the sound source being many
uproar
vshubbub
47 3.9

A loud, confused noise and activity by a group of people

focuses on the same group-created noisy mixture without extra emotion
ruckus
vshubbub
  • Informal
31 6.8

A loud, confused noise made by people arguing or shouting

is the noisy mixed sound but can be peaceful or accidental
pandemonium
vshubbub
22 8.0

A loud, wild situation of disorder and confusion

is the crowd-made confused noise but usually less wildly chaotic
bustle
vshubbub
20 4.1

Busy, noisy movement in a place with many people

focuses more on the noisy mixture caused by many sound sources
brouhaha
vshubbub
  • Informal
14 8.8

A noisy fuss about something not very important

means general noisy confusion but not limited to trivial disputes
tumult
vshubbub
12 7.7

A noisy, confused situation with a crowd behaving badly

is the neutral label for that same crowd-made noisy sound
rumpus
vshubbub
11 7.6

Loud noise and activity, often with people shouting

is the same mixed-source loud sound but not necessarily shouting
hullabaloo
vshubbub
  • Informal
7 7.9

A loud noisy fuss made by people, often during protests or celebrations

is the neutral crowd-made noisy sound without protest implication
hurly-burly
vshubbub
  • Literature
1 9.6

A noisy, confused situation with many people and activity

is the simpler term for noisy crowd sound without poetic feel
hurly
vshubbub
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A noisy disturbance among people in one place

is the general way to name that mixed-source loud noise
bluster
vshubbub
1 6.8

Loud noisy activity that causes confusion

is the same noisy mix but described more neutrally
katzenjammer
vshubbub
9.9

A loud, confused noise from many people or things

describes the same noisy, mixed-source sound in neutral modern terms
8.5

A sudden violent crowd event that causes confusion and danger

means noisy mixed sound but without the sudden violent sense

Antonyms

660 2.0

A period with no sound or speech

52 1.0

A quiet, peaceful feeling that helps you stay steady

How Noisy

din
28 3.9
uproar
47 3.9
hubbub
17 5.1
to buzz
68 3.1
chatter
87 3.5
murmur
36 4.1

Surface Forms

hubbub singular
hubbubs plural

Etymology

The word hubbub is a sound word made to copy the mixed noise of a busy crowd, like repeating a short, messy sound to show confusion. So, hubbub now means a loud, confused 'noise'.