hurly-burly: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1literary, formal, or journalistic
Quick answer
What does “hurly-burly” mean?
Noisy, chaotic, and frenzied activity.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Noisy, chaotic, and frenzied activity; a state of commotion and uproar.
Can describe the hectic, tumultuous nature of modern urban life, political agitation, or any situation characterised by disordered, energetic confusion.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Used in both varieties with no significant difference in meaning. Slightly more common in British literary contexts.
Connotations
Evokes Shakespearean language (e.g., 'Macbeth'). In modern use, often carries a tone of weary or ironic observation of busyness.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday speech for both, but recognisable to educated speakers.
Grammar
How to Use “hurly-burly” in a Sentence
the hurly-burly of [noun phrase]amid/in/above the hurly-burlyescape/avoid/withdraw from the hurly-burlyVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hurly-burly” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- (Rare as verb; not standard)
American English
- (Rare as verb; not standard)
adverb
British English
- (Extremely rare; not standard)
American English
- (Extremely rare; not standard)
adjective
British English
- After the wedding, the couple sought a quiet cottage, far from the hurly-burly world of London.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Possibly used metaphorically: 'He thrived in the hurly-burly of the trading floor.'
Academic
Rare in hard sciences; may appear in literary, historical, or sociological texts describing chaotic periods.
Everyday
Uncommon in casual conversation. Might be used for humorous or emphatic effect about a busy household or workplace.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hurly-burly”
- Using it as a plural noun (e.g., 'the hurly-burlies').
- Using it as an adjective without a hyphen (e.g., 'a hurly burly day' is incorrect; 'a hurly-burly day' is possible but rare).
- Confusing it with 'hurry-scurry', which implies rushed, frantic movement.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is considered literary or formal. It is not common in casual, everyday speech.
It is primarily a noun. Attributive use (e.g., 'a hurly-burly existence') is possible but less common and retains its hyphen.
It is a reduplication of the early 16th-century word 'hurly', meaning 'commotion', itself from the verb 'hurl'. It was famously used by Shakespeare in 'Macbeth'.
They are close synonyms. 'Hurly-burly' often implies more physical, tumultuous activity and has a more literary tone, while 'hubbub' can refer more specifically to a loud, confused noise.
Noisy, chaotic, and frenzied activity.
Hurly-burly: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhɜː.li ˈbɜː.li/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhɝː.li ˈbɝː.li/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(The phrase itself is considered idiomatic)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a HURLY-BURLY is when people are HURLing themselves around in a BURLy (strong, rough) manner, creating chaos.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE/ACTIVITY IS A STORM/WHIRLWIND.
Practice
Quiz
In which of these contexts would 'hurly-burly' be LEAST appropriate?