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.
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"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.
(NZ, informal) angry, annoyed.
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