bah

interjection

ˈbä How to pronounce bah (audio) ˈba How to pronounce bah (audio)
Synonyms of bahnext
—used to express disdain or contempt

Examples of bah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Saturday had a chance to be a season-salvaging win, and then … bah. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025 Even with some traditional holiday events cancelled, the season isn’t totally bah, humbug. — Will Coviello, NOLA.com, 4 Dec. 2020 As usual, the Blue Moon employees are rowdy and ready to party; their festive spirits are doused with bah humbug reality when Maddie demands everyone work over the holiday. — Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bah was in 1818

Phrases Containing bah

Rhymes for bah

See All Rhymes for bah

Browse Nearby Words

bagywrinkle
bah
Baha'i
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bah. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bah

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bah

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All