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gah

gah

13 9.9
A short sound people make when they feel frustrated, annoyed, or surprised
  • interjection
  • /ɡɑː/
  • Informal
translation icon : uf
  • Not my thing," rather than start reading and go, "Gah!"
  • No! Gah

He was like a very short man and like, you know, he just said gah, gah.

Examples

  • Who's the superhero now... gah!

  • Gah, I love her to death, but we are butting heads!

    Blog text (20)
  • You and your own mother, gah!

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Great advice, but gah, I'm still just so stressed out about it.

    Blog text (2)
  • Not every actor has to be gorgeous, but GAH.

    Blog text (27)
  • I spent ages making videos to add here, and they are not uploading for some reason! GAH!

    Blog text (8)
  • Gah, I don't really feel strongly about this, to be honest.

    Blog text (27)
  • Gah, I could scarf down so many waffles in this moment!

    Blog text (16)
  • It's just over a week away (Gah!), so if you're not already prepared for the feast, now's the time.

    Blog text (23)

Synonyms

gosh
vsgah
  • Informal
553 6.4

An exclamation showing surprise, wonder, or mild annoyance

is more forceful and less polite in many uses
heck
vsgah
  • Informal
422 7.5

A small amount of care or worry about something

tends to be sharper and less euphemistic in tone
what the hell
vsgah
  • NSFW
347 8.9

An angry or surprised question showing you do not believe something

is shorter and usually less confrontational than that phrase
ugh
vsgah
  • Informal
282 7.9

A short sound people make to show disgust or annoyance

leans more toward surprise and simple irritation instead of disgust
geez
vsgah
  • Informal
175 8.8

A short informal word people say to show surprise, annoyance, or sympathy

can be similar but is often sharper and less mild
argh
vsgah
  • Informal
67 8.8

A short cry people say when they feel frustrated or annoyed

is like this but can also show milder surprise
agh
vsgah
  • Informal
50 9.9

A short cry showing strong feelings such as annoyance or fear

is similar but slightly less focused on strength and alarm
goddammit
vsgah
  • Offensive
50 9.9

A rude strong swear word people say when angry or frustrated

can express anger too but in a softer interjection form
bah
vsgah
  • Informal
40 9.3

A short sound people make to show they feel annoyed or do not believe something

is broader, covering surprise and plain frustration without scorn
grrr
vsgah
  • Informal
11 9.9

A short sound people say or write to show anger

can show annoyance too but is less growl-like and harsh
doh
vsgah
  • Informal
10 9.6

A short sound people make when they see a silly mistake

is broader, covering surprise or annoyance not just errors
tch
vsgah
  • Informal
9 9.9

A short sound people make to show annoyance or mild disapproval

is more vocal and often shows surprise as well as annoyance
goddam
vsgah
  • Offensive
9 9.9

Adds strong anger or surprise to what you say

expresses similar annoyance but is less of an intensifier
grr
vsgah
  • Informal
8 9.9

A short sound like a growl people use to show anger or frustration

uses the same annoyance but without the growling tone
urgh
vsgah
  • UK
7 9.3

A sound people make to show disgust or annoyance

focuses more on annoyance or surprise rather than disgust
ach
vsgah
7 9.9

A short sound people make to show surprise, pain, or annoyance

usually shows annoyance and surprise rather than pain specifically
gawd
vsgah
  • Slang
4 9.9

A short informal word people say when they feel surprise, shock, or annoyance

is similar but often shorter and crisper in sound
freakin
vsgah
  • NSFW
4 9.9

A short cry people say to show surprise or anger

is like this but often shorter and less emphatic
aargh
vsgah
  • Informal
4 9.9

A short cry people make to show strong feelings like anger or pain

shares strong feeling but is used more mildly
aagh
vsgah
  • Informal
3 9.9

A short cry people make when they feel pain or are annoyed

conveys the same annoyance but often with surprise instead of pain
egad
vsgah
  • Archaic
3 9.9

An old word people say to show surprise or shock

is similar but used more in everyday modern speech
psh
vsgah
  • Informal
3 9.9

A short sound showing annoyance or disbelief

expresses clearer frustration or surprise rather than dismissal
geesh
vsgah
  • Informal
2 9.9

An informal word people say to show surprise, annoyance, or that they do not believe something

shares that use but tends to sound slightly stronger
augh
vsgah
  • Informal
1 9.9

A short cry showing that you are upset or annoyed

is similar but can also signal brief surprise
harrumph
vsgah
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A short gruff sound that shows annoyance or disapproval

is more immediate and varied, not just huffy disapproval
bejeezus
vsgah
  • Informal
9.9

A loud informal shout that shows surprise, shock, or strong annoyance

matches that surprise but usually with less folkish tone
gadzooks
vsgah
  • Archaic
9.9

An old-fashioned shout to show surprise or annoyance

expresses modern frustration or surprise in a simpler way
egads
vsgah
  • Archaic
9.9

An old-fashioned shout said to show surprise or shock

covers surprise too but more casually and less literary
gosh all hemlock
vsgah
  • Archaic
9.9

A short shout people use when they feel surprised or frustrated

is a shorter interjection used for quick annoyance or surprise

How Annoyed

grr
  • Informal
8 9.9
argh
  • Informal
67 8.8
gah
  • Informal
13 9.9
huh
  • Informal
8.0
oh
1.0

Surface Forms

gah main

Etymology

Gah is a short, written sound people use to show 'frustration', 'annoyance', or 'surprise', much like the simple exclamations ugh or argh. Think of it as the quick noise you make when something goes wrong, which is why people write gah to show they are upset or shocked.