what
- determiner
- /wɑt/
- I thought, my God, what an interesting guy.
- what a great
- what a difference
- what an excellent
I thought, my God, what an interesting guy.
- I thought, my God, what an interesting guy.
- And let's start by reflecting on what an amazing thing language is.
- But yeah, what a night, what a night.
Examples
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And Joan, what a woman she is.
-
4 years old, what a big girl.
-
So I said to myself, "What the hell, girl?"
-
- Jesus Christ what a time to get a flat.
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What a way to make a living.
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Thank you to our incredible performers, what a marvelous job you did.
-
It's absolutely true, ladies and gentlemen, what an incredible sport that is.
-
What a day we've had, huh?
-
What a surprise!
Idioms
- Informal
A short cry to show surprise, confusion, disbelief, or casual acceptance
- NSFW
A joke phrase people say after someone says something that can sound sexual
- Informal
A humorous remark to greet someone who arrives unexpectedly or looking messy
- Offensive
A joke reply that mentions someone's mother to tease them about sex
Try many different ideas to find one that works
- Informal
Things that rise will later fall, for example prices or fortunes
- Informal
A short phrase people use to show surprise or disbelief without a bad word
To say someone has a very bad idea as if they are not thinking clearly
Say this when someone acts very differently, as if they are a different person
How Surprised
Surface Forms
Etymology
What comes from the old English word hwæt, which was used to point to a thing with surprise or strong feeling. A helpful way to remember exclamations like 'What a beautiful day!' is that what began as a word to show the thing and the speaker's strong feeling, so it still adds surprise or admiration.