Hooray is an exclamation people shout when they're celebrating something wonderful or exciting. When your team scores the winning goal, when school lets out for summer vacation, or when you finally master that difficult skateboard trick you've been practicing, you might throw your hands in the air and yell “Hooray!”

The word captures pure, unfiltered joy. It's the sound of victory, relief, and happiness all rolled into one enthusiastic burst. You might hear crowds at parades shouting hooray for their favorite float, or classmates cheering hooray when the teacher announces a field trip.

Hooray is more energetic and celebratory than simply saying “yay” or “great.” It's the kind of word that feels good to shout at full volume. People have been using hooray to celebrate for hundreds of years.

You can also use it sarcastically when something disappointing happens, like muttering “Hooray, more homework” after a tough assignment. But most of the time, when someone shouts hooray, they mean it: something genuinely wonderful just happened, and they can't help celebrating.