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 Fright, shock.
aaah,
aah! "Help!" eating my Sometimes it means
aaaahh
leg!" "ahh" instead.
"Aha! Understanding, triumph
aha a-ha "I understand" So you took (can also be used as
the money!" "ahh")
The sound of clearing
"Ahem! one's throat. Used to get
"Attention, Swearing is someone's attention,
ahem
please!" against office especially if they don't
policy." know (or apparently
forgot) that you're there.
Realisation,
"Ahh, yes, I
understanding.
ahh ahhh "Ok, I see" understand
Sometimes it means
now"
"aaah" or "eh" instead.
"Argh, the
Annoyance, anger,
argh augh "Damn!" car won't
frustration
work!"
"Aww, what Shows sentimental
aww aw, awww "How sweet!" an adorable approval (also see next
puppy" entry)
aww aw, ohh, "That's too bad" "Aww, it hit Feeling sorry or pity for
 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."
Disapproval, contempt
"Boo, get off
boo booh "That's bad" (also something to yell
the stage!"
to surprise people)
"Brrr, it's
brr brrrr "It's cold" -20C Being cold, shivering
outside"
"I just
Homer Simpson's
"That was deleted all
d'oh doh catchphrase when
stupid/bad!" my files.
something bad happens.
D'oh!"
"Duh, you Expresses annoyance
duh "That's dumb" didn't plug it over something stupid or
in." obvious
"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
eh? huh? "What?" hear what
see "eh?" below
you said."
"So she
Stereotypically overused
eh? huh?, eyh? "Is that right?" dumped you,
by Canadians
eh?"
"Ewww, this
ugh,
eww "Disgusting" apple is Disgust, dislike
ewww
rotten"
"This is "Gah, I give Exasperation and
gah
hopeless" up" despair
gee "Really?" "Gee, that's Surprise, enthusiasm, or
 super!" just general emphasis.
Anger, snarling,
"Grrr, I'll
grr grrrr "I'm angry" growling. Often used for
kick his ass"
dogs and other animals.
"Hmm, I'm
hm,
hmm "I wonder" not sure Thinking, hesitation.
hmmmm
about that"
"There are
A snort, to express
"I don't like kids on my
humph harumph dislike, disbelief or
this" lawn again,
annoyance.
humph!"
The first syllable of
"Heh, that's "hahaha", when
hah heh "Funny."
clever" something is just a little
funny
"Huh, you Mild, indifferent
huh "Really?"
were right" surprise
hooray, "Let's "Hurrah, we Generic exclaimation of
hurrah
huzzah celebrate!" won!" joy
"Blerch, this
ich yuck, yak "Disgusting" apple is Disgust, dislike
rotten"
"Meh,
meh eh "I don't know" whatever you Indifference
think is best"
"Do you
mmhm, Agreement,
mhm "Yes" think so
uh-hu acknowledgement.
too?" "Mhm"
"Mmm, this
mmm, Pleasure. Sometimes it
mm "Lovely" ice cream is
mmh means "hmm" instead.
delicious"
"I switched
mwahaha, the sugar and Evil villain's triumphant
muahaha "I'm so evil!"
bwahaha the salt! laugh
Muahaha!"
nah "No" "Want Informal no
another
beer?" "Nah,
 I'm good"
"I hit you!"
"No, it
nuh-hu, "Nuh-uh!" Childish negation or
nuh-uh isn't!"/"Did
nuhuh "Yuh-uh!" refusal
not!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Oh, you
wanted
oh "I see" Realisation
sugar, not
milk."
"A seven
An often ironic (or just
layer
funny) way indicating
ooh-la-la oh-lala "Fancy!" wedding
that something is fancy
cake? Ooh-
or high class
la-la!"
Wonder, amazement
"Oooh, it's
ooh oooh "Wonderful!" (ohhh can also mean
shiny!"
ahhh)
A grunt made on sudden
"Push on 3.. exertion. Also used as a
"I'm exerting
oomph umph 1, 2, 3.. noun to mean "power"
myself"
oomph!" or "energy" ("This song
needs more oomph!")
"Oops, I Being surprised at or
"I didn't mean
oops knocked your acknowledging your
to do that"
cup over" own mistakes
oww,
"Oww, I hit
ow ouch, "That hurts" Pain
my thumb"
yeow
Mainly British: Used to
get someone's attention,
"Oy! You
similar to "hey!". Also
oy oi, oyh "Hey, you!" forgot your
used disapprovingly
wallet!"
("Oy, you spilled your
drink all over me!").
"The bills are Mainly Jewish: Used to
oy oy vay "Oh no..." biling up. express self-pity, similar
Oy..." to "woe is me!"
pew pee-yew "It stinks!" "Pew, that Used for foul odors
smells so
 gross!"
"Pff, I once
pffh, pssh, caught a fish
pff "That's nothing" Unimpressed
pfft twice that
size"
"I didn't do
my
homework,
"That was
phew but the Expressing relief
close!"
teacher didn't
check.
Phew!"
Used to quietly get
"Psst. Let's
Whispering someone's attention,
psst skip the next
"Hey, you!" often to tell them a
class!"
secret.
"Sheesh, now Exasperation,
"I can't believe
sheesh jeez he's drunk annoyance (corruption
this!"
again" of "Jesus")
"Shh, I'm
hush, trying to hear Used to make someone
shh "Be quiet"
shush what they're be quiet
saying!"
Used to drive away
"Get out of
shoo "Go away" animals or small
here! Shoo!"
children
disappointment,
"Tsk-tsk, he
contempt (this is a
tsk-tsk tut-tut "Disappointing" is late for
clicking sound. Clip
work again"
from Futurama)
"Do you Agreement,
uhuh, think so acknowledgement
uh-hu "Yes"
mhm too?" "Uh- (easily confused with
hu" uh-uh)
"Uh-oh, I
Concerned for
think the bear
uh-oh oh-oh "Oh no!" indications that
is inside the
something will happen
house"
uh-uh unh-unh "No" "Eat your Refusal, especially if
 your mouth is full or if
spinach!" you refuse to open it
"Uh-uh!" (easily confused with
uhuh)
"Seven times Indicates a pause in,
"Wait, I'm
uhh uhm, err eight is... rather than the end of, a
thinking"
uhh... 56" sentence
Used by children when
doing something fun,
whee, "Weee!
wee "This is fun!" and often ironically by
weee Faster!"
adults when something
is fun but childish
Can be used to suggest
caution as in here, and
also stereotypically used
by marijuana smokers to
"Whoa, take
whoa "Hold on." express dumbfounded
it easy!"
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 Generic exclaimation of
yahoo yippie
celebrate!" won!" joy
All-purpose cheer.
"Yay! We Approval,
yay "Yes!"
won!" congratulations and
triumph
"Yeeeaah! Common slang for
yeah yeeeeaah! "Yes!" Kick his "yes", sometimes also
butt!" used as an interjection.
Much like "yahoo", but
"Let's gather
almost always
yee-haw yeehaw "I'm excited!" some cattle!
associated with
Yee-haw!"
cowboys.
yoo-hoo yoohoo "Hey you!" "Yoo-hoo, The often
sugercup! ironic/comical,
Come give seductive call of a
me a hug!" woman to get someone's
 attention
"I hit you!" Childish affirmation,
yuh-hu, "Yes, it "Nuh-uh!" often used to counter
yuh-uh
yuhuh is!"/"Did so!" "Yuh-uh!" "nuh-uh!" (not to be
"Nuh-uh!" ... confused with yoo-hoo).
"Yuck, I
ich, blech, wouldn't
yuck "Disgusting!" Disgust, dislike
bleh want to touch
that"
Used (often ironically)
"You're so
to punctuate a punchline
stupid, you'd
ba-dum- or witty comeback.
"Haha, well trip over a
zing tss, badum From the sound of
said!" wireless
tish a rimshot, played after
phone!"
punchlines in some
"Zing!"
comedy acts.