# oh

Pronunciation: say "OH" US /oʊ/, UK /əʊ/

## Interjection

1. Used to express surprise, wonder, or amazement.
   - Simple: A word you say when something surprises or amazes you.
   - _Oh, the package arrived a whole week early!_
   - _Oh! I had no idea the meeting was canceled._
2. A word used to show that one now understands, affirms, recognizes, or realizes something.
   - Simple: A word people say when they suddenly understand or remember something.
   - _Oh, you meant the blue folder, not the green one._
   - _Oh, I remember her now. She sat behind me in class._
3. A word used to introduce an added comment or an afterthought.
   - Simple: A word used to add a small comment you just thought of.
   - _We should leave by noon. Oh, and the car needs gas._
   - _Dinner is at eight. Oh, I almost forgot to mention dessert._
4. An exclamation of dismay, disappointment, or distress, frequently paired with a following no, dear, or god.
   - Simple: Said when you are upset, sorry, or worried about something bad, often before no, dear, or god.
   - _"Oh god, the basement is flooding," she groaned as she opened the door._
   - _Oh, that's such a shame; I really hoped you'd get the job._
5. Used to introduce a casual or irritated comment.
   - Simple: A word used before a remark said in an annoyed or careless way.
   - _Oh, fine, I'll do it myself since no one else will._
   - _Oh, you're only telling me this now?_
6. A word used for dramatic effect or emphasis, often in poetry.
   - Simple: A word used in poems or speeches to add strong feeling.
   - _Oh, that the summer could last forever and never fade._
   - _Oh, how bravely the small band of soldiers stood their ground._
7. A word used to call out to or address someone directly, often before a name or a term of endearment.
   - Simple: A word used to call out to someone, often before their name.
   - _Oh, my love, how I have missed your gentle voice._
   - _Oh, children, gather round and hear this old story._
8. A word used to mark a following phrase as imagined or hypothetical speech.
   - Simple: A word used before words you are only imagining someone might say.
   - _They always claim, oh, we never received the message._
   - _You expect him to admit, oh, I was completely wrong?_
9. A word used to express mild skepticism or doubt about what was said.
   - Simple: A word used to show you do not quite believe something.
   - _Oh, is that so? I'd want to see proof first._
   - _Oh, you finished the whole project in one night? Right._
12. A word used to express a sudden feeling of pain.
   - Simple: A word people say when they suddenly feel pain.
   - _Oh, my knee! I just banged it hard on the table leg._
   - _Oh! That needle stung more than I expected._
13. A sound used as a filler or extra syllable, especially in popular music.
   - Simple: A sound added to fill space or beats in a song.
   - _The bridge fills the empty bars with a drawn-out oh._
   - _Backing vocals chant oh, oh behind the lead singer._
16. A filler for a short pause while the speaker searches for words, typically right before an approximate figure, time, or example.
   - Simple: Said when you stop for a moment to think, often just before you guess a number or time.
   - _I last saw him, oh, sometime around Christmas._
   - _Something small, oh, a scarf or a candle, would make a nice gift._

## Noun

11. The digit zero, especially as spoken aloud in sequences of numbers.
   - Simple: The number zero, said like the letter O when reading numbers aloud.
   - _The agent's code name was double oh seven._
   - _According to the deed, the farmhouse was built in nineteen oh five._
10. A spoken utterance of oh, expressing surprise, acknowledgment, or a similar feeling.
   - Simple: A short sound or cry of oh that someone makes.
   - _The audience let out a string of delighted ohs as each new costume appeared on stage._
   - _Her quiet oh told me she had finally understood._
15. The spoken name of the letter O in the Latin alphabet.
   - Simple: The name of the letter O when it is spoken aloud.
   - _When I spell my last name over the phone, I always say 'oh as in ocean' so they get it right._
   - _He read each letter clearly, ending with a long oh._

## Verb

14. To utter the interjection oh, as an expression of surprise or a similar feeling.
   - Simple: To say the word oh out loud, often in surprise.
   - _Spectators oh and aah whenever the divers leap._
   - _Visitors stood at the railing, ohing and ahing at the view from the top of the tower._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–10, 12–14, 16** — Inherited from Middle English 'o'.
**Meaning 15** — This name goes back to Latin ō, which became Old English ō and later Middle English o or oo.
**Meaning 11** — The name of the letter O, applied to the digit 0 because the two look alike.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/oh (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).