"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
A New Zealand informal term, borrowed from Maori, meaning annoyed, irritated, or fed up.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1990 · no dated citations yetDefinitions
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.
"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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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
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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