1. nvi. Disappointed, thwarted, baffled; disappointment, frustration (Hal. 9.18). Ā hoka! Serves you right! Good for you [insulting]! hoʻo.hoka To cause disappointment, chagrin; to frustrate, thwart, put to shame (Hal. 44.7).

Ever get that feeling? Yeah. We all get there once in a while, hopefully your “whiles” are far and few between. Hoka is the kind of word you say when you lost out on something, a missed opportunity.

Hoka is a great word to know when you have children, whether in your own little hale or in school. Know a child who missed a good opportunity by dilly dallying around? Hoka. If you tell your child to hurry up and put away his toys and he takes his sweet time and finally shows up after you have put away a sweet treat. Hoka! Tough luck, braddah. Kind of like “good for you” but in a nicer way. How about when you tell your students that they better buckle down because the quarter is almost over and they have a few more assignments to complete and then they try the list minute scramble? Hoka, for sure. Everyone in your paddling crew ordered a new paddle, sight unseen, except you (because it seemed like a risky sight unseen deal). Paddles arrive, they are beautiful and your old one just broke. Hoka.

Use hoka whenever you or anyone lost out on a good thing. Just like that. Hoka.

Kū i ka ʻīpuka o ka hoka – Standing at the doorway of disappointment.

Hoka ana lākou i ke ahu ʻawa – they were straining kava dregs (they were disappointed, a pun on hoka).