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Glite Dictionary
tra-la

tra-la

9.9
A short cheerful sound that uses silly syllables
  • noun
  • /trɑːˈlɑː/
  • Informal
translation icon : tra-la
  • She danced around the room singing tra-la without a care in the world.

Examples

  • As he washed the dishes, he hummed a cheerful tra-la to himself.

  • Children skipped down the road, chanting tra-la and laughing.

  • She hummed a cheerful tra-la while cooking dinner.

  • Do you like to sing tra-las when you're happy?

  • As he washed the dishes, he hummed a cheerful tra-la to himself.

  • Children skipped down the road, chanting tra-la and laughing.

  • She danced around the room singing tra-la without a care in the world.

Synonyms

fa la
vstra-la
3 9.9

A short series of simple syllables sung as a refrain

is used broadly for humming cheerful tunes not only in formal partsongs
tra-la-la
vstra-la
  • Informal
9.9

Small nonsense sounds people sing or hum instead of words

is used when humming or singing a cheerful tune rather than to represent partsongs
fal la
vstra-la
9.9

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

is the general humming syllable used for cheerful singing rather than only partsongs

Surface Forms

tra-la singular
tra-las plural

Etymology

Tra-la comes from the playful singing sound la, shown as 'la' in many songs, with a light tra added in front to make the cheerful refrain 'tra-la-la'. That's why tra-la means a string of happy, nonsensical syllables people hum or sing when they do not need real words.