Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

pooh-pooh

verb
\ˈpü-(ˌ)pü, pü-ˈpü\
variants: or less commonly poo-poo or pooh \ˈpü \
pooh-poohed also poohed; pooh-poohing also poohing; pooh-poohs also poohs

Definition of pooh-pooh 

intransitive verb

: to express contempt or impatience

transitive verb

: to express contempt for or make light of : play down, dismiss

Other Words from pooh-pooh

pooh-pooher or less commonly poo-pooer noun plural pooh-poohers also poo-pooers
Despite what chief Providence pooh-pooher Jack Thomas writes in the Globe, I say the place is worth regular visits, especially after a day at the beach in southern Rhode Island. — Paul Fischer

First Known Use of pooh-pooh

1823, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

History and Etymology for pooh-pooh

pooh

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about pooh-pooh

Dictionary Entries near pooh-pooh

poogye

pooh

pooh-bah

pooh-pooh

pooh-pooh theory

pooja

pook

Statistics for pooh-pooh

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for pooh-pooh

The first known use of pooh-pooh was in 1823

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for pooh-pooh

pooh-pooh

verb

English Language Learners Definition of pooh-pooh

: to think or say that (something) is not very good or not true

See the full definition for pooh-pooh in the English Language Learners Dictionary

Comments on pooh-pooh

What made you want to look up pooh-pooh? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

vitiate

to make faulty or ineffective

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Find the Cousins

  • a-large-tree-with-many-branches
  • Which pair shares a common word ancestor?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Dictionary Devil

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games