son of a gun

noun phrase

ˈsən-ə-və-ˌgən How to pronounce son of a gun (audio)
 as an interjection  ˌsən-ə-və-ˈgən
plural sons of guns
usually used as a mild or euphemistic alternative to son of a bitch
sometimes used interjectionally to express surprise or disappointment

Examples of son of a gun in a Sentence

That son of a gun never called me back. I had to bring the car to the shop. The son of a gun broke down again.
Recent Examples on the Web Say ‘bye’ to that old, bulky toolkit and ‘hello’ to this sleek son of a gun. Cristian Esteban, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1708, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of son of a gun was in 1708

Dictionary Entries Near son of a gun

Cite this Entry

“Son of a gun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/son%20of%20a%20gun. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on son of a gun

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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