whew
73
7.0
- interjection
- /wuː/
- Informal
- A few seconds after take-off, he grabs his stomach and exclaims, "Whew, I feel a little nauseous!"
- "Whew," said
- "Whew!" exclaimed
- Oh, Whew
Examples
-
When I finished that, I said, "Whew!" and wiped the pretend sweat from my brow.
Fiction book (2002) -
Whew, it took a lot of guts for those guys to go through what they did.
Fiction book (1996) -
See you. "Whew!" said Josh when they were walking down the dark street.
Fiction book (1993) -
I turned the corner and said, "Whew!" There were still people lined up waiting.
Fiction book (2000) -
And Powell thought, "Whew, my God, I can work with Jerry."
Academic text (2013) -
After we said no, he smiled and said, "Whew, what a relief."
Blog text (32) -
"Whew," he said, wiping his brow where a faint sheen of sweat had finally emerged.
Fiction book (1991) -
After finishing the grueling marathon, I crossed the finish line and exclaimed, "whew! That was tough!"
-
When I heard that the storm had passed, I sighed in relief and thought, "whew, we made it through!"
-
Completing the final exam felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I said, "whew! I'm glad that's over."
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Show a sudden feeling like surprise or understanding
∞
1.0
A short sound people make to show surprise, relief, or pleasure
∞
1.0
A short word people say to show surprise or admiration
∞
7.2
To say when surprised or when you want someone to stop suddenly
581
6.9
A sound people say to show surprise, relief, or pleasure
190
9.9
A short informal word people say to show surprise or ask someone to repeat
79
4.6
A short laugh showing surprise or small victory
70
7.9
A short cry people make when they feel sudden pain or shock
34
8.8
A short cry people use to show surprise or amazement
30
8.4
A sound people make when they suddenly understand or feel pleased
28
8.1
A short sound people make when they feel relieved, tired, or disgusted
22
9.9
A short cry showing surprise or excitement
16
8.3
A short sound people say to show surprise or excitement
11
9.9
A short shout showing surprise or admiration
9
9.9
A short cry said to show surprise, excitement, or sudden pain
6
9.1
A short sound people make when they feel a quick pain
5
9.9
A short informal way people use to show surprise, confusion, or disbelief
5
9.9
A short shout showing surprise or asking for attention
4
9.9
A short shout showing sudden surprise or strong impact
2
9.9
A long quiet sound made when you feel relieved or tired
1
9.9
A short sound people make after stress to show relief or tiredness
1
9.1
A soft sound you make when something feels good or brings relief
Surface Forms
Etymology
Whew is a word that copies the sound of a quick, sharp exhale—think of saying phew when a hard task is finished. That's why we use whew as a short shout to show 'relief', 'surprise', or 'tiredness'.