whoa

imperative verb

ˈwō  ˈhō  ˈhwō 

variants or less commonly woah

1

—a command (as to a draft animal) to stand still

2

: cease or slow a course of action or a line of thought : pause to consider or reconsider

—often used to express a strong reaction (such as alarm or astonishment)

Examples of whoa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Vulture was reporting live from the Peacock Theater to keep track of all of the highs, lows, and whoas the induction had to offer. —Devon Ivie, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English whoo, who

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for whoa

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

Kids Definition

whoa

imperative verb

ˈwō  ˈhō 

ˈhwō

1

—used as a command to an animal to stop pulling or moving

2

: step or slow a course of action or a line of thought : pause to consider or reconsider

—often used to express a strong reaction (as alarm or astonishment)