Dictionary

w00t en · INTJ

Pronunciation

• /wuːt/
• wo͞ot
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

US, attested 1996, variant of earlier wh00t (1994), leetspeak form of whoot (1993), form standardized and popularized in dancehall anthem by rap song “Whoot, There It Is” (single released March 22, 1993) by group 95 South – compare often-confused “Whoomp! (There It Is)” (single released May 7, 1993) by group Tag Team – both in Miami bass genre (also less common “Whoops, there it is”), from earlier varied oral usage whoo, whoof, woo, woof (compare standard woohoo), notably by studio audience on The Arsenio Hall Show (1989–94) and in movie Pretty Woman (1990). The usage of The Arsenio Hall Show, specifically by the “dogpound” section of the audience, was in turn based on a dog’s bark woof (“(sound of dog barking)”), and derived from chants used at football games by the Cleveland Browns, from Hall’s home town, team nicknamed “The Dogs”. Many folk etymologies exist, but written record is clear: the term appears widely in popular print use only from 1993, particularly used both in dancehalls and at sporting events, and is credited to the songs. The w00t form gained popularity on the internet from 1996, especially in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs).

Meanings

1. (Internet, Leet) Used to express joy, particularly that felt during success or victory.
   • This is a test w00t 1996 January 8, Matthew Cable, “Yeah!”, in alt.test (Usenet), archived from the original on 26 Feb 2008:
   • I talked to some lady at Burton, and she was saying there's all kinds of neat stuff on the disk, like clicking in different places or such gets neat things not otherwise seen.....anyone find any of these? wh00t!!!! 1994 November 20, John Paul Brzustowicz, “Widowmaker CD ROM very soon”, in rec.skiing.snowboard (Usenet), archived from the original on 23 Oct 2025:
   • w00t I've won this special item.

Forms

Relateds

woohoo · whoopee

Synonyms

yes · yay · yippee · OMG · huzzah · hurray · alright · hoorah · woohoo · whoopee · hurrah · yeah

wikipedia: TV Acres · wikipedia: Whoot, There It Is · wikipedia: Whoomp! (There It Is) · wikipedia: 95 South · wikipedia: Miami bass · wikipedia: Cleveland Browns · wikipedia: Grant Barrett · wikipedia: The Arsenio Hall Show · wikipedia: Pretty Woman