# wow

Pronunciation: say "WOW" /waʊ/

## Interjection

1. Said to show excitement, surprise, astonishment, or pleasure.
   - Simple: Something you say when you feel excited, surprised, or very happy.
   - _Wow, the fireworks lit up the entire sky over the harbor!_
   - _Wow, this cake tastes even better than it looks._
3. Said sarcastically to show disapproval or a lack of being impressed.
   - Simple: Said in a joking or unkind way to show you are not impressed.
   - _Wow, three hours late and not even a single apology._
   - _Wow, what a brilliant plan that turned out to be._

## Verb

2. To amaze, awe, or greatly impress someone. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To greatly impress or amaze someone.
   - _Her debut album wowed critics across the country._
   - _A skilled speaker can wow an audience within the first few minutes._

## Noun

4. Something exceptionally surprising, unbelievable, or outstanding. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Something that is amazing, surprising, or really impressive.
   - _Her closing performance was the wow of the entire evening._
   - _The final act delivered a genuine wow that left the crowd cheering._
5. An instance of someone uttering the exclamation "wow". *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: The sound someone makes when they say the word "wow".
   - _His quiet wow was the only sound in the room after the reveal._
   - _A chorus of wows greeted the unexpected announcement._
6. A relatively slow variation in pitch that can affect both gramophone records and tape recorders.
   - Simple: A slow wobble in pitch that can spoil the sound from records and tape players.
   - _The engineer reduced the wow by stabilizing the turntable's drive belt._
   - _Excessive wow made the piano recording sound seasick._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–5** — It is recorded from the 1500s on, borrowed from the Scots word of the same form. At bottom it is just a natural cry of feeling.
**Meaning 6** — Imitative in origin.

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