wahala

W4A1H4A1L1A1

noun

trouble; problem.

OriginYoruba wàhálà ← Hausa wàhalā̀ ← Arabic وَهْلَة →
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Meanings

nounwahala (uncountable)

alternative wahalla

  1. Nigeriauncountabletrouble; problem.

    Oscar flashed me another bent grin, palmed a pistol from under the seat and said, "First time in Nigeria? No wahalla, you are always protected sa."

    2005, Paul Carter, Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs, Crows Nest: Allen and Unwin, page 133

Origin

  1. Arabicوَهْلَة“fright, terror”
  2. Hausawàhalā̀
  3. Yorubawàhálà
  4. Englishwahala

From Yoruba wàhálà, from Hausa wàhalā̀, from Arabic وَهْلَة (wahla, “fright, terror”).

More words from Yoruba, Hausa, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

halawahawala
Cite this entry
APA

wahala. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wahala

MLA

“wahala.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wahala. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wahala,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wahala.

Source: wahala on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.