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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

wow en · INTJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /waʊ/
  • (US) audio
  • /ʋɑʋ/

Etymology

Attested since the 16th century; borrowed from Scots wow; ultimately a natural exclamation.

Meanings

  1. An indication of excitement, surprise, astonishment, or pleasure.
    • Wow, I sure was surprised!
    • Out on thir wanderand spiritis, wow! thow cryis. 1513, Gavin Douglas, Virgil Æneid (translation) vi. Prol. 19:
  2. An expression of amazement, awe, or admiration.
    • Wow! How do they do that?
  3. Used sarcastically to express disapproval of something.
    • Wow… good job using all of our supplies on the first day.

Antonyms

screw this

Deriveds

wowsers · wowser · wowzah · wowzer · wowee · wow factor · big wow · wow word

Hyponyms

no · yay · yes

Relateds

FML · Appendix:Roget MICRA thesaurus/Class VI § 870. Wonder

Synonyms

zooterkins · my giddy aunt · shit fire and save matches · whoa · gosh · Lord · goodness · cor · begorra · strike me pink · oh em gee · 'sblood · sheesh · oh my gosh · my gosh · gadzooks · oh my God · sweet mother of God · Jesus fuck · golly gee willikers · great Caesar · oi · by Jupiter · my Lord · gramercy · stone the crows · bloody hell · great balls of fire · lawl · wowzers · Christ on a stick · I'll be dashed · I'll be dipped · goodness gracious · I'll be shot · gee willikers · diggety · heavens to Murgatroyd · my word · leapin' lizards · crikey · blow my buttons · holy stromboli · yowzah · fuark · Christ on a raft · cripes · flipping heck · Gordon Bennett · hell's bells · hot damn · suffering Sappho · jeez · wow · I'll be jiggered · sweet Jesus · snakes alive · Christ on a cracker · omigosh · praise the Lord · bleeding Nora · criminy · I'll be · by jingo · holy cricket · byrlady · blige · goodness gracious me · I say · oh my Lord · jings · my · holy Hannah · hallo · googly-moogly · bleeding heck · jeezy-peezy · holy man · fucking hell · my goodness · my heavens · omigod · I never · good God · by cracky · crivvens · no way · God's teeth · holy dignity · flipping Nora · 'sheart · Jesus · oh my stars · ruddy hell · deary me · heavens above · jinkies · dear Lord · Lord love a duck · heavens to Betsy · jeepers creepers · cor lummy · gyatt · I'll be dipped in shit · holy fuck · gaw · heavens · holy ravioli · eep · I'll be a son of a bitch · oh my days · God in heaven · fuck me · odzookens · good heavens · Christ · I'll be a dirty bird! · holy guacamole · jumping Jesus · adzooks · lauks · holy fudge · Janey Mack · I'll be hornswoggled · holy moly · blow me tight · holy kamoley · I'll be a son of a gun · Gadsbodikins · waow · oh my goodness · flaming Nora · my sainted uncle · caramba · lordy · heyday · hello · OMG · Christ alive · mother of Pearl · geez · holy fuck knuckles · holy macaroni · peas and rice · by juckies · zoinks · zoiks · by George · by Allah · stone me · holy Toledo · holy crap on a cracker · ZOMG · by gummy · sodding hell · dear God · by thunder · dear me · golly · I'll be a monkey's uncle · holy crap · blow me over · mirabile dictu · butter my butt and call me a biscuit · hold up · shart · I'll be damned · Christ on a bike · by gum · by the living jingo · good gravy · zound · man alive · blimey · good gracious · lawks a-mercy · my conscience · my sainted aunt · my God · jeepers · oh my heck · suffering Moses · sakes alive · chuffing hell · you don't say · holy cannoli · blow me down · fucking Nora · holy smoke · gracious · bloody Nora · gorblimey · I'm blowed · holy kamoly · odsfish · I'll be blowed · hey · sweet mother of Jesus · fancy that · Jesus Murphy · Jesus H. Christ · Jeebus · well · gadsbud · by God · blow me up · holy magnum · holy hell · ods bodikin · mama mia · sweet Mary · oh my life · I'll be danged · holy Moses · oh · lawks · glory be · 'sdeath · holy crickets · I'll be bound · bless us · Christ almighty · Jaysus · suffering succotash · good Lord · shut the front door · oh my · great Caesar's ghost · gee · Judas Priest · good golly · Jesum Crow · geez Louise · gosh all hemlock · holy cow · rah · oh my fuck · oh my goodness gracious · oh my Goddess · get out of town · mercy sakes · I'll be darned · great googly moogly · shitting Nora · cor blimey · great Scott · holy moley · wowee · sacré bleu · imagine that · sweet Grandma on stilts · ay · 'struth · by golly · jeez Louise · ZOMFG · zounds · gad so · holy mackerel · golly gosh · knock me down with a feather · holy buckets · yikes · by gosh · geshmak · ruddy Nora · hooly dooly · I'll be hanged · Jesus Christ · whoah · slap my ass and call me Judy · Holy Mother of God · holy doodle · holy shit · shut my mouth · slap my ass and call me Sally · Holy Mother · my my · Jupiter · egads · strewth · Christ on a crutch · Lord be praised · ohmigod · Jerusalem crickets · geeminy · egad · what · yikes bikes · good grief · I'll be buggered · zowie · ermahgerd · Jiminy Cricket · Mother of God · mamma mia · cowabunga · please · what do you know · chihuahua · ye gods · Mary and Joseph · blow me backwards · holy crud · jeezy peeps · knock me over with a feather · God Almighty · O gemini · by Jove · suffering centipedes · coo · shiver my timbers · oh my word · son of a gun · jumping Jehoshaphat · oh my hell · bless my heart · by all that is holy · dearie me · blow me · land sakes · bless my soul · blow me pink · gee whiz · goodness me

Translations (187)

ru ух ты́ (excitement, surprise) · acw وي (excitement, surprise) · pt ena! (amazement) · ru ого́ (amazement) · cy waw (excitement, surprise) · pt uia (amazement) · scn ippì (amazement) · ru ух ты (amazement) · ja ワオ (excitement, surprise) · cy waw (amazement) · yi הו־האַ! (amazement) · cmn(excitement, surprise) · it perbacco (excitement, surprise) · de toll! (excitement, surprise) · pt nossa (excitement, surprise) · pt uau (excitement, surprise) · ko(excitement, surprise) · es cho (amazement) · cmn(excitement, surprise) · es guau (amazement) · uk нічосі (amazement) · fr ouah (amazement) · fi vau! (excitement, surprise) · as বাঃ (excitement, surprise) · la papae (excitement, surprise) · fr oh (amazement) · hu azta! (excitement, surprise) · pl o rany (excitement, surprise) · fi oho (amazement) · es anda (amazement) · it accidenti (excitement, surprise) · es asu (madre/macho/mare) (amazement) · cmn 哇塞 (amazement) · es hala (excitement, surprise) · mi anō (amazement) · ar سُبْحَانَ الله (amazement) · af sjoe (excitement, surprise) · hu azt a mindenit (amazement) · ru ва́у (excitement, surprise) · acw وَه (excitement, surprise) · eo ŭaŭ (amazement) · hu tyű! (excitement, surprise) · tr oha! (amazement) · he ואו (amazement) · fr waouh (excitement, surprise) · hu tyű! (amazement) · scn bi (amazement) · km វ៉វ់ (amazement) · fi oho (excitement, surprise) · ka ვაშა (excitement, surprise) · fi vau (amazement) · el ουάου (excitement, surprise) · hy ջա՜ն, հրաշալի է (excitement, surprise) · ru пфф (amazement) · cmn 哎呀 (amazement) · es canastos (amazement) · wa ayayay (excitement, surprise) · ru на́до же (amazement) · fa وا (amazement) · de Mensch! (excitement, surprise) · hu(amazement) · scn talè (amazement) · es salute (amazement) · ru обалде́ть (amazement) · tr vay (excitement, surprise) · ur واہ (excitement, surprise) · es bestia (amazement) · es híjole (amazement) · uk вау (amazement) · ur وا (excitement, surprise) · grc βαβαί (amazement) · hu hűha! (excitement, surprise) · scn ivì (amazement) · fa واه (amazement) · sv oj (excitement, surprise) · sv wow (amazement) · zza wış (amazement) · eo ŭaŭ (excitement, surprise) · hu tyűha! (amazement) · ru ба (amazement) · mi(amazement) · yo ọmọ! (excitement, surprise) · mi ēhe (excitement, surprise) · ko(amazement) · de boah (amazement) · ru ишь ты (amazement) · vi uầy (amazement) · hu ejha! (excitement, surprise) · ar عَجَبًا (excitement, surprise) · is(amazement) · la hui (amazement) · ru ого́ (amazement) · mk леле (excitement, surprise) · pl łał (amazement) · hu(excitement, surprise) · mi ānana (excitement, surprise) · km ចុម (amazement) · es órale (excitement, surprise) · tr vay canına (excitement, surprise) · hnn aba-aba (amazement) · ru офиге́ть (amazement) · hi वाह (amazement) · nv doo lá dóʼ da (excitement, surprise) · fr oh là là (excitement, surprise) · el βαβαί (excitement, surprise) · vi(amazement) · tr vay canına (amazement) · tr vay (amazement) · es atiza (excitement, surprise) · lt vau (amazement) · ru ничего́ себе́! (amazement) · ca vaja (excitement, surprise) · pt uia (excitement, surprise) · et vau (excitement, surprise) · sv wow (excitement, surprise) · de boah! (excitement, surprise) · hu húha (excitement, surprise) · de wow (amazement) · it incredibile (excitement, surprise) · hil abá (excitement, surprise) · es ¡guau! (excitement, surprise) · cmn(amazement) · ru ва́у (amazement) · ru ура́ (excitement, surprise) · cmn(excitement, surprise) · pt nossa (amazement) · as আও (excitement, surprise) · it uao (amazement) · wa oufti (excitement, surprise) · ro uau (excitement, surprise) · it per la miseria (excitement, surprise) · hi वाह (excitement, surprise) · ja わあ (amazement) · fa وه (excitement, surprise) · ko 와우 (excitement, surprise) · ru охуе́ть (amazement) · ms wau (amazement) · hu azta! (amazement) · grc βαβαί (excitement, surprise) · es guao (amazement) · es ¡guao! (excitement, surprise) · vi oa (amazement) · hu húha (amazement) · pt uau (amazement) · hu azt a mindenit (excitement, surprise) · lld putega (excitement, surprise) · ms wah (amazement) · lld ma ies'a mat (excitement, surprise) · hu ejha! (amazement) · es arrea (excitement, surprise) · hu tyűha! (excitement, surprise) · pl wow! (excitement, surprise) · hil abá (amazement) · mi ānana (amazement) · fi jukoliste (amazement) · af sjoe (amazement) · mi ēhe (amazement) · hu hűha! (amazement) · ja うわ (excitement, surprise) · ru пизде́ц (amazement) · ja すごい! (amazement) · hu(amazement) · acw واو (excitement, surprise) · ru здо́рово (amazement) · hu(excitement, surprise) · ms wau (excitement, surprise) · hu(amazement) · ko 우와 (excitement, surprise) · de Junge! (excitement, surprise) · pl wow (amazement) · fa به (excitement, surprise) · es hala (amazement) · uk нічого собі (amazement) · ja わあ (excitement, surprise) · scn zu (amazement) · nl wauw (amazement) · sv oj (amazement) · it per tutti i diavoli (excitement, surprise) · th ว้าว (amazement) · hy մաման-ծաղկաման (amazement) · el μπα (excitement, surprise) · zza way caro (excitement, surprise) · it accipicchia (excitement, surprise) · ro uau (amazement) · hu(excitement, surprise) · fr ouah (excitement, surprise) · lld bestia (excitement, surprise)

Source: en.wiktionary, “wow” (intj), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

wow en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /ʋəʋ/
  • /waʊ/
  • (US) audio

Etymology

Attested since the 16th century; borrowed from Scots wow; ultimately a natural exclamation.

Meanings

  1. (informal) Anything exceptionally surprising, unbelievable, outstanding, etc.
    • ‘Jesus suffering fuck,’ said Adrian. ‘It’s not half a thought.’ ‘Face it, it’s a wow.’ 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, section I, page 19:
    • ‘And say, Jimmy, wait till you see me in my new outfit...It’s a wow, kid.’ 1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 144:
  2. (informal) An utterance of "wow".
    • On this trip, we talked with fellow cruisers about their travels and boats, and many were curious about the Beneteau Swift Trawler. Gow graciously gave tours, during which we heard many wows, oohs and aahs. 2009 April, MotorBoating, page 43:
    • One woman took a seat nearer the front for a closer look at my maps. Several people exhaled loudly. I heard a wow now and then. 2021 August 25, Jason King, The Climate Planner: Overcoming Pushback Against Local Mitigation and Adaptation Plans, Routledge, →ISBN:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
wows Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

wowless

Source: en.wiktionary, “wow” (noun), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

wow en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /ʋəʋ/
  • /waʊ/
  • (US) audio

Etymology

Attested since the 16th century; borrowed from Scots wow; ultimately a natural exclamation.

Meanings

  1. (informal, transitive) To amaze or awe.
    • He really wowed the audience.
    • If all of us can remember how great it felt to be wowed, why don't we make it a habit to do it more often for others? People remember you when you wow them, so to differentiate yourself with your clients and customers, think of doing something that would make them remember you. 2015, Joe Sweeney, Mike Yorkey, Moving the Needle, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 200:
    • We have the worst of both worlds: the royal family gives us nothing, and we in turn legitimise it, give it meaning and audience and pay, through subsidies and tax exemptions, for its ability to wow us. 2023 May 8, Nesrine Malik, “The coronation pulled a screen across a desperate, failing nation – just as intended”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
  2. (dialectal, intransitive) To wail; to cry mournfully. ▸ Of a cat, to mew.
  3. (dialectal, intransitive) To wail; to cry mournfully. ▸ Of a dog, to howl.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
wowing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
wowed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
wowed Tense=Past lexicographic
wows Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Translations (6)

de tief beeindrucken (to amaze or awe) · de in Begeisterung versetzen (to amaze or awe) · zza wey lımın (to amaze or awe) · sv imponera (to amaze or awe) · de begeistern (to amaze or awe) · sv förbluffa (to amaze or awe)

Source: en.wiktionary, “wow” (verb), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

wow en · NOUN · etymology 2

Etymology

Imitative.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) A relatively slow form of flutter (pitch variation) which can affect both gramophone records and tape recorders.
    • I often hear flutter and wows spoken of. 1930, F.H. Richardson, “F.H. Richardson's Comments”, in Motion Picture Herald, volume 120, page 22:
    • Sound films have to be loaded so that the sound is 5 seconds before the sound drum so a wow does not result when the film is punched up on the air. 1970, Larry G. Goodwin, Thomas Koehring, Closed-circuit Television Production Techniques, page 80:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
wows Number=Plur lexicographic

Relateds

bow-wow (other terms containing the word "wow", probably etymologically unrelated) · bow chicka wow wow (other terms containing the word "wow", probably etymologically unrelated) · wow-wow (other terms containing the word "wow", probably etymologically unrelated) · wow-wow sauce (other terms containing the word "wow", probably etymologically unrelated)