A New Zealand informal term, borrowed from Maori, meaning annoyed, irritated, or fed up.
A New Zealand informal term, borrowed from Maori, meaning annoyed, irritated, or fed up. Used freely in New Zealand English across communities as a way of expressing mild to moderate frustration. Part of the everyday Maori vocabulary that has permeated New Zealand English speech.
'I'm hoha with this traffic,' she said, tapping the steering wheel impatiently.
"hoha" means a new zealand informal term, borrowed from maori, meaning annoyed, irritated, or fed up. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with H.
A fuss, an uproar, a commotion or stir; hype; brouhaha, hullabaloo.
(slang) Annoyed or irritated.
(chiefly, Scotland, Ireland) an expression of anger, frustration, surprise.
(Internet slang, vulgar, derogatory) Used to taunt or dismiss people who are perceived as being overly upset, annoyed, or complaining about something.
"hoha" means a new zealand informal term, borrowed from maori, meaning annoyed, irritated, or fed up. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.
"hoha" is informal English meaning a new zealand informal term, borrowed from maori, meaning annoyed, irritated, or fed up. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "a new zealand informal term" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "hoha" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.
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(NZ, informal) angry, annoyed.
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