wow

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /waʊ/, Rhymes: -aʊ

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Indic) IPA^(key): /waːw/

Interjection

wow

1. An indication of excitement, surprise, astonishment, or pleasure.

   Wow, I sure was surprised!

   • 1513, Gavin Douglas, Virgil Æneid (translation) vi. Prol. 19:

     Out on thir wanderand spiritis, wow! thow cryis.

2. An expression of amazement, awe, or admiration.

   Wow! How do they do that?

3. Used sarcastically to express disapproval of something.

   Wow… good job using all of our supplies on the first day.

Verb

wow (third-person singular simple present wows, present participle wowing, simple past and past participle wowed)

1. (transitive, informal) To amaze or awe.

   He really wowed the audience.

   • 2015, Joe Sweeney, Mike Yorkey, Moving the Needle, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 200:

     If all of us can remember how great it felt to be wowed, why don't we make it a habit to do it more often for others? People remember you when you wow them, so to differentiate yourself with your clients and customers, think of doing something that would make them remember you.

   • 2023 May 8, Nesrine Malik, “The coronation pulled a screen across a desperate, failing nation – just as intended”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:

     We have the worst of both worlds: the royal family gives us nothing, and we in turn legitimise it, give it meaning and audience and pay, through subsidies and tax exemptions, for its ability to wow us.

Noun

wow (plural wows)

1. (informal) Anything exceptionally surprising, unbelievable, outstanding, etc.

   He did? That's a wow!

   • 1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 144:

     ‘And say, Jimmy, wait till you see me in my new outfit...It’s a wow, kid.’

   • 1991 September, Stephen Fry, chapter 1, in The Liar, London: Heinemann, →ISBN, section I, page 19:

     ‘Jesus suffering fuck,’ said Adrian. ‘It’s not half a thought.’
     ‘Face it, it’s a wow.’

2. (informal) An utterance of "wow".

   I heard multiple wows coming from the audience.

   • 2009 April, MotorBoating, page 43:

     On this trip, we talked with fellow cruisers about their travels and boats, and many were curious about the Beneteau Swift Trawler. Gow graciously gave tours, during which we heard many wows, oohs and aahs.

   • 2021 August 25, Jason King, The Climate Planner: Overcoming Pushback Against Local Mitigation and Adaptation Plans, Routledge, →ISBN:

     One woman took a seat nearer the front for a closer look at my maps. Several people exhaled loudly. I heard a wow now and then.

Noun

wow (countable and uncountable, plural wows)

1. (audio) A relatively slow form of flutter (pitch variation) which can affect both gramophone records and tape recorders.
   • 1970, Larry G. Goodwin, Thomas Koehring, Closed-circuit Television Production Techniques, page 80:

     Sound films have to be loaded so that the sound is 5 seconds before the sound drum so a wow does not result when the film is punched up on the air.

Pronunciation

Verb

wow

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, Internet slang, of news) to become outdated; to become old news

Pronunciation

Interjection

wow

1. (Internet slang) wow!

See also

• ワオ (wao, “wow; whoa”, interjection)
• ワウ (wau, “wow”, noun)