oof

SayOOFUS/uf/UK/uːf/

Noun pluraloofs

5 meanings of oof

1
interjectiononomatopoeic
A sound you make when air gets pushed out of you, like after a hit to the stomach.
Like the sound of air rushing out of a ball when you squeeze it hard.
Oof, that tackle knocked all the air out of him.
Oof, the dog jumped up and knocked the wind out of me.
Note
2
interjectionslang
A word you say to show you feel sorry for someone's pain or are shocked by a high price.
Like saying 'ouch' for someone else when they get hurt.
Oof, that must have really hurt.
Oof, ninety dollars for a haircut?
Similarouch
Note
3
nouncountable
A noise of pain that comes out when air is forced from you after a blow.
Like the grunt a person makes when something heavy lands on them.
He gave a sharp oof as the boxer's fist landed.
A startled oof escaped her when she fell off the bench.
Similargrunt, groan
Note
4
nouncountable
Something that makes you feel embarrassed or disappointed.
Like a moment so embarrassing you want to hide your face.
Forgetting his lines on stage was a big oof.
Losing the game in the final seconds was such an oof.
Similarfail, blunder
Oppositewin
Note

Less common meaning

5
noundatedUKuncountable
Money, or the cash someone has on hand.
Like other slang words for money, such as 'cash' or 'dough'.
He'd saved up a fair bit of oof before the trip.
Chuffy: It's on a knife edge at the moment, Bertie. If he can get planning permission, old Stoker's going to take this heap off my hands in return for vast amounts of oof.
1991, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and WoosterHere, oof means money.
Similarmoney, cash, dough
Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–4

It imitates a sound. It is like Dutch "oef" and German "uff".

Meaning 5

A shortened form of the word "ooftish".