1. 1. Boisterous, jovial commotion or excitement.
   2. Extravagant publicity: The new sedan was introduced to the public with much hoopla.
2. Talk intended to mislead or confuse.

[Perhaps from French houp-là, upsy-daisy! : houp (of imitative origin) + là, there; see voilà.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.