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Glite Dictionary
tra-la-la

tra-la-la

9.9
Small nonsense sounds people sing or hum instead of words
  • noun
  • /trɑː lɑː lɑː/
  • Informal
translation icon : tra-la-la
  • She walked through the park, singing tra-la-la as the sun shone down.

Examples

  • You can just hum tra-la-la if you forget the words to the song.

  • The children danced in a circle, chanting tra-la-la and laughing.

  • He hummed a cheerful tra-la-la while walking.

  • The children sang tra-la-la during playtime.

  • As she skipped down the lane, she happily sang tra-la-la to herself.

  • The kids giggled and sang tra-la-la while they played together in the garden.

  • During the game, they all joined in, repeating tra-la-la as part of their fun chorus.

Synonyms

fa la
vstra-la-la
3 9.9

A short series of simple syllables sung as a refrain

is broader and used in many singing situations beyond partsongs
tra-la
vstra-la-la
  • Informal
9.9

A short cheerful sound that uses silly syllables

is used more generally to show singing without real words
fal la
vstra-la-la
9.9

A short part of a song made of nonsense syllables sung between lines

is more general and not limited to traditional or madrigal music

Surface Forms

tra-la-la singular
tra-la-las plural

Etymology

Tra-la-la comes from the simple musical sounds people make when they sing without words, especially the repeated sound la, often written as 'la' in songs. So tra-la-la is a playful way to show singing, humming, or a cheerful tune with no real words.