Definition of oh
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.
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Origin and Etymology of oh
Middle English o
Recent Examples of oh from the Web
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CLEVELAND, OH - Playhouse Square has received one of the largest gifts in its history.
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In part because of this, Ryan was forever being asked about his opinion of (and support for) the oh-so-colorful Trump.
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The latest downtown hit from neighborhood machers Matt Abramcyk and Akiva Elstein—who also did the oh-so-awesome Smith & Mills next door—
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On his show Monday night, the comedian tearfully described the emergency operation needed after his son, William John, was found to have tetralogy of Fallot (teh-TRALL-oh-jee of fall-OH.)
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Uh-oh: The Timberwolves’ new logo, released last week, looks eerily similar to that of another plodding franchise, the Arizona Coyotes.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oh.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of oh
o; from the similarity of the symbol for zero (0) to the letter O
OH Defined for English Language Learners
oh
playDefinition of oh for English Language Learners
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—used to express surprise, happiness, disappointment, or sadness
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—used in response to a physical sensation (such as pain)
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—used to address someone directly
oh
playDefinition of oh for English Language Learners
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—used to show the way the number 0 is often pronounced
OH Defined for Kids
oh
playO
\ō, ˈō\Definition of oh for Students
1 —used to express an emotion (as surprise or pain) Oh, why did I ever come here?
2 —used in direct address Oh, children, stop that noise!
OH
Definition of OH for Students
Ohio
Learn More about oh
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See words that rhyme with oh Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for oh Spanish Central: Translation of oh Nglish: Translation of oh for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of oh for Arabic speakers
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