whew

noun

 often read as  ˈhwü,
ˈwü,
ˈhyü How to pronounce whew (audio)
 the interjection is a whistle concluded with a voiceless  ü
: a whistling sound or a sound like a half-formed whistle uttered as an exclamation
gave a long whew when he realized the size of the job
used interjectionally chiefly to express amazement, discomfort, or relief

Examples of whew in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Earlier this year, Shay casually shared a video on Instagram of herself working her way through plank variations like a total boss at the gym and whew! Korin Miller, Women's Health, 15 Mar. 2023 The cult fitness-slash-bike-slash-tech-slash-media company (whew) began trading at $27 per share—but dropped over 14% from its initial price offering at $29 per share (which would earn them over an $8 billion valuation)—closing down over 11%. Anne Sraders, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2019 To wit: a carnival, classic film fest, auto show, dunk tank, farmer’s market, 5K run and kids dash, and even a Sunday pancake breakfast (whew!). Web Behrens, chicagotribune.com, 18 Aug. 2019 But, whew, that’s a young group until Emmanuel Sanders (Achilles) returns. Ryan O'Halloran, The Denver Post, 6 June 2019 Like Prince William, Prince Harry, and many other royals, Lady Gabriella Marina Alexandra Ophelia Windsor (whew) was born at St. Mary's Hospital in London. Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 26 Apr. 2019 And the view kept getting scarier: first 60% chance of rain, then 90% chance, then — whew — 100% chance for thunderstorms. Kayla Daugherty, Detroit Free Press, 15 Oct. 2017 In it, the cunning Scheherazade staves off her execution by her husband the king, who has a nasty habit of bedding and then slaughtering his brides, by spinning more than a thousand (whew!) artfully cliff-hanging tales. Ben Brantley, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2018 On the home front my wife signed up for another year (whew), and my faithful Sancho Panza, Ms. Nicole Rockstead agreed to do a 26th year with me. Neil Senturia, sandiegouniontribune.com, 18 Dec. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whew.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1513, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whew was in 1513

Dictionary Entries Near whew

Cite this Entry

“Whew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whew. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

whew

noun
often read as
ˈhwü How to pronounce whew (audio) ˈwü How to pronounce whew (audio)
ˈhyü;
 the interjection is a whistle ending with a voiceless  ü
: a sound somewhat like a whistle used chiefly to express amazement, discomfort, or relief
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