oh
oh Lexical Profile
oh Game Scores & Validity
• interjection
Used to express a range of strong or sudden emotions, including surprise, realization, disappointment, pain, fear, or relief.
"Oh, I completely forgot that the library closes early on Saturdays!"
Used as a conversational marker to acknowledge a statement, introduce a remark, or indicate a brief pause or hesitation when estimating or thinking.
"The renovation will probably take, oh, about three or four weeks to complete."
Used in direct address to attract someone's attention or add emphasis to an appeal or wish.
"Oh, Sarah, could you hand me that folder before you leave the room?"
• noun
The number or digit zero, especially when spoken aloud in sequences such as telephone numbers, room numbers, years, or clock times.
"Our hotel room is three-oh-five on the third floor."
An utterance or exclamation of the word 'oh', expressing surprise, wonder, or realization.
"A collective oh of amazement rose from the audience when the magician revealed the illusion."
• verb
To exclaim 'oh' in surprise, admiration, or wonder (often paired with 'ah').
"The visitors ohed and ahed as the fireworks illuminated the harbor."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Oh' is the standard exclamation used in everyday conversation to express surprise, realization, or hesitation, whereas 'O' (always capitalized and never followed immediately by punctuation) is reserved for poetic, solemn, or liturgical direct address (e.g., 'O Captain! my Captain!').
• Rhymes for oh
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
An instinctive vocal exclamation attested in English since the 1530s as a variant spelling of 'O', with similar natural interjections occurring across Indo-European languages (such as Latin 'o', Greek 'ō', and Gothic 'o').