noun

brouhaha

BROO-hah-hah/ˈbruːhɑːhɑː/

A noisy fuss or commotion.

The toppled café table provokes a noisy brouhaha.

A small public crowd makes an outsized, noisy fuss over a toppled café table: several people call out at once, pointing and throwing up their hands while an embarrassed patron stands beside the spilled drinks.

Etymology

French brouhaha supplies the sense of noisy uproar. It is said to have been the cry of a devil disguised as clergy in medieval theater, though its deeper origin is uncertain.

In context

ORCA Media48:09

there was no clear process and uh somebody appealed the curb cut permit that had been issued by a select board and I went to the court there's all this brouhaha in the court

Calais Selectboard - February 27, 2023 [CS]

More examples

She wondered what the brouhaha was about.
The spilled drinks started a brief brouhaha.
A minor scheduling error became a public brouhaha.

Forms

brouhaha · brouhahas

Similar words

fuss: Fuss is general; brouhaha suggests a noisy and sometimes exaggerated public commotion.
uproar: Uproar emphasizes noise and agitation; brouhaha often hints that the issue is overblown.