Dictionary of interjections

Here is a list of english interjections (words that have no grammatical meaning, but just
signify emotions, such as "Aha" and "Wow") and their meanings. Feel free to mail me if you
have suggestions or comments.

Like the sounds themselves, most of the interjection can be made stronger by stretching them
out, such as "aaaaaah!!!" or "awwwwwww!!". This list mostly describes the shortest
canonical representations. Note that some are listed several times with different meanings,
and as alternate spellings under other entries.

Alternate/
Word Translation Example Meaning
Similar
"Aaaah! It's
aaah, Fright, shock. Sometimes it
aah! "Help!" eating my
aaaahh means "ahh" instead.
leg!"
"Aha!
Understanding, triumph (can
aha a-ha "I understand" So you took
also be used as "ahh")
the money!"
The sound of clearing one's
"Ahem!
throat. Used to get someone's
"Attention, Swearing is
ahem attention, especially if they
please!" against office
don't know (or apparently
policy."
forgot) that you're there.
"Ahh, yes, I Realisation, understanding.
ahh ahhh "Ok, I see" understand Sometimes it means "aaah" or
now" "eh" instead.
"Argh, the car
argh augh "Damn!" Annoyance, anger, frustration
won't work!"
"Aww, what
Shows sentimental approval
aww aw, awww "How sweet!" an adorable
(also see next entry)
puppy"
"Aww, it hit
aw, ohh, Feeling sorry or pity for
aww "That's too bad" him right in
ahh someone
the nuts!"
"Aw, don't be Mild disappointment or
aw oh "Come on!"
like that!" protest
"Bah, I never
bah "Whatever" liked him Dismissive, annoyed
anyways."
 "Boo, get off
boo booh "That's bad" Disapproval, contempt
the stage!"
I jumped out
from the closet A noise used to scare people
boo! "Scared you!"
and yelled by surprise
"boo!"
"Brrr, it's -20C
brr brrrr "It's cold" Being cold, shivering
outside"
"I just deleted Homer Simpson's
"That was
d'oh doh all my files. catchphrase when something
stupid/bad!"
D'oh!" bad happens.
"Duh, you
Expresses annoyance over
duh "That's dumb" didn't plug it
something stupid or obvious
in."
"Eeek, a Girly scream. Surprised,
eek eeeek "Help!"
mouse!" scared.
"Eep! I didn't
eep "Oh no!" mean to say Surprise (female)
that!"
"Eh? I didn't
Misunderstanding. Also see
eh? huh? "What?" hear what you
"eh?" below
said."
"So she
Stereotypically overused by
eh? huh?, eyh? "Is that right?" dumped you,
Canadians
eh?"
ugh, "Ewww, this
eww "Disgusting" Disgust, dislike
ewww apple is rotten"
"This is "Gah, I give
gah Exasperation and despair
hopeless" up"
"Gee, that's Surprise, enthusiasm, or just
gee "Really?"
super!" general emphasis.
Anger, snarling, growling.
"Grrr, I'll kick
grr grrrr "I'm angry" Often used for dogs and other
his ass"
animals.
"Hmm, I'm not
hm,
hmm "I wonder" sure about Thinking, hesitation.
hmmmm
that"
"I don't like "There are kids A snort, to express dislike,
humph harumph
this" on my lawn disbelief or annoyance.
 again,
humph!"
The first syllable of "hahaha",
"Heh, that's
hah heh "Funny." when something is just a little
clever"
funny
hehe,
"Haha, that's
haha hahaha, "Funny!" Regular laughter.
hilarious!"
bahaha
"Huh, you
huh "Really?" Mild, indifferent surprise
were right"
hooray, "Let's "Hurrah, we
hurrah Generic exclaimation of joy
huzzah celebrate!" won!"
"Blerch, this
ich yuck, yak "Disgusting" Disgust, dislike
apple is rotten"
"Meh,
meh eh "I don't know" whatever you Indifference
think is best"
"Do you think
mmhm, Agreement,
mhm "Yes" so too?"
uh-hu acknowledgement.
"Mhm"
"Mmm, this
mmm, Pleasure. Sometimes it means
mm "Lovely" ice cream is
mmh "hmm" instead.
delicious"
"I switched the
mwahaha, sugar and the
muahaha "I'm so evil!" Evil villain's triumphant laugh
bwahaha salt!
Muahaha!"
"Want another
nah "No" beer?" "Nah, Informal no
I'm good"
"I hit you!"
"No, it
nuh-hu, "Nuh-uh!"
nuh-uh isn't!"/"Did Childish negation or refusal
nuhuh "Yuh-uh!"
not!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Oh, you
oh "I see" wanted sugar, Realisation
not milk."
"A seven layer An often ironic (or just funny)
ooh-la-la oh-lala "Fancy!" wedding cake? way indicating that something
Ooh-la-la!" is fancy or high class
 "Oooh, it's Wonder, amazement (ohhh
ooh oooh "Wonderful!"
shiny!" can also mean ahhh)
A grunt made on sudden
exertion. Also used as a noun
"I'm exerting "Push on 3.. 1,
oomph umph to mean "power" or "energy"
myself" 2, 3.. oomph!"
("This song needs more
oomph!")
"Oops, I Being surprised at or
"I didn't mean to
oops knocked your acknowledging your own
do that"
cup over" mistakes
oww,
"Oww, I hit
ow ouch, "That hurts" Pain
my thumb"
yeow
Mainly British: Used to get
someone's attention, similar to
"Oy! You
"hey!". Also used
oy oi, oyh "Hey, you!" forgot your
disapprovingly ("Oy, you
wallet!"
spilled your drink all over
me!").
"The bills are Mainly Jewish: Used to
oy oy vay "Oh no..." biling up. express self-pity, similar to
Oy..." "woe is me!"
"Pew, that
pew pee-yew "It stinks!" smells so Used for foul odors
gross!"
"Pff, I once
pffh, pssh,
pff "That's nothing" caught a fish Unimpressed
pfft
twice that size"
"I didn't do my
homework, but
"That was
phew the teacher Expressing relief
close!"
didn't check.
Phew!"
"Psst. Let's Used to quietly get someone's
Whispering
psst skip the next attention, often to tell them a
"Hey, you!"
class!" secret.
"Sheesh, now
"I can't believe Exasperation, annoyance
sheesh jeez he's drunk
this!" (corruption of "Jesus")
again"
hush, "Shh, I'm Used to make someone be
shh "Be quiet"
shush trying to hear quiet
 what they're
saying!"
"Get out of Used to drive away animals or
shoo "Go away"
here! Shoo!" small children
"Tsk-tsk, he is disappointment, contempt
tsk-tsk tut-tut "Disappointing" late for work (this is a clicking sound. Clip
again" from Futurama)
"Do you think
Agreement, acknowledgement
uh-hu uhuh, mhm "Yes" so too?" "Uh-
(easily confused with uh-uh)
hu"
"Uh-oh, I think
the bear is Concerned for indications that
uh-oh oh-oh "Oh no!"
inside the something will happen
house"
Refusal, especially if your
"Eat your
mouth is full or if you refuse
uh-uh unh-unh "No" spinach!" "Uh-
to open it (easily confused
uh!"
with uhuh)
"Seven times
"Wait, I'm Indicates a pause in, rather
uhh uhm, err eight is...
thinking" than the end of, a sentence
uhh... 56"
Used by children when doing
whee, "Weee! something fun, and often
wee "This is fun!"
weee Faster!" ironically by adults when
something is fun but childish
Can be used to suggest
caution as in here, and also
stereotypically used by
"Whoa, take it marijuana smokers to express
whoa "Hold on."
easy!" dumbfounded amazement
("whoa, look at the colors!").
Originally a sound used to
make horses stop.
"Wow, that's
wow "Amazing!" Impressed, astonished
incredible!"
"Let's "Yippie! We
yahoo yippie Generic exclaimation of joy
celebrate!" won!"
"Yay! We All-purpose cheer. Approval,
yay "Yes!"
won!" congratulations and triumph
Common slang for "yes",
"Yeeeaah!
yeah yeeeeaah! "Yes!" sometimes also used as an
Kick his butt!"
interjection.
 "Let's gather Much like "yahoo", but
yee-haw yeehaw "I'm excited!" some cattle! almost always associated with
Yee-haw!" cowboys.
"I found out I
"That's a bad owed $5000 in
yikes Fear and alarm.
surprise." back taxes.
Yikes!"
"Yoo-hoo,
The often ironic/comical,
sugercup!
yoo-hoo yoohoo "Hey you!" seductive call of a woman to
Come give me
get someone's attention
a hug!"
"I hit you!"
Childish affirmation, often
yuh-hu, "Yes, it "Nuh-uh!"
yuh-uh used to counter "nuh-uh!" (not
yuhuh is!"/"Did so!" "Yuh-uh!"
to be confused with yoo-hoo).
"Nuh-uh!" ...
"Yuck, I
ich, blech,
yuck "Disgusting!" wouldn't want Disgust, dislike
bleh
to touch that"
"You're so Used (often ironically) to
stupid, you'd punctuate a punchline or witty
ba-dum-
"Haha, well trip over a comeback. From the sound of
zing tss, badum
said!" wireless a rimshot, played after
tish
phone!" punchlines in some comedy
"Zing!" acts.

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