oh

1 of 3

interjection

(ˈ)ō 

variants or less commonly O

1

—used to express an emotion (such as surprise or desire) or in response to physical stimuli

Oh, no! I forgot my key.

Oh, don't stop!

2

—used in direct address

oh, waiter! Will you come here, please?

3

—used to express acknowledgment or understanding of a statement

Oh, yes. It's one of my favorite cities.

4

—used to introduce an example or approximation

Their house is about, oh, I'd say four miles from here.

oh

2 of 3

noun

ˈō 

: zero

OH

3 of 3

abbreviation

Ohio

Synonyms

Noun

• nothing
• zero
• aught

Examples of oh in a Sentence

Noun

the number is one-oh-two-four

Recent Examples on the Web

Interjection

Best Packing Essentials Deals Packing cubes, toiletry kits, and shoe bags—oh my! —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025

Anthropologie: Summer dresses, blouses, and pants (oh my!) are up to 30 percent off for a limited time. —Averi Baudler, People.com, 8 July 2025

But, oh, can the wrong choices lead to design mishaps — the wrong placement, the wrong size, the wrong style. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2025

In 2021, the former TV journalist accompanied her partner to business meetings with world leaders, a speech at his space company Blue Origin, and a charitable gala. 2022: Movie premieres, commencements, oh my! —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 25 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Interjection

Middle English o

Noun

o; from the similarity of the symbol for zero (0) to the letter O

First Known Use

Interjection

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing oh

• hit the big five-oh
• hit the big four-oh
• oh yeah
• uh-oh

Rhymes for oh

• beau
• beaux
• blow
• boe
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

oh

1 of 2 interjection

variants or O

(ˈ)ō

1

—used to express an emotion (as astonishment or desire) or in response to a physical sensation (as pain)

2

—used in direct address

Oh sir, you forgot your change

3

—used to express understanding of a statement

oh, that's what you mean

4

—used to introduce an example or a guess

there are probably, oh, six or seven different ways to do that

oh

2 of 2 noun

ˈō 

: zero entry 1 sense 1