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oh

interjection
\ (ˈ)ō How to pronounce oh (audio) \
variants: or less commonly

Definition of oh

 (Entry 1 of 3)

1 —used to express an emotion (such as surprise or desire) or in response to physical stimuli Oh, no! I forgot my key.Oh, don't stop!
2 —used in direct address oh, waiter! Will you come here, please?
3 —used to express acknowledgment or understanding of a statement Oh, yes. It's one of my favorite cities.
4 —used to introduce an example or approximation Their house is about, oh, I'd say four miles from here.

oh

noun
\ ˈō How to pronounce oh (audio) \

Definition of oh (Entry 2 of 3)

: zero

OH

abbreviation

Definition of OH (Entry 3 of 3)

Ohio
Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about oh

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Synonyms for oh

Synonyms: Noun

aught, cipher, goose egg, naught (also nought), nil, nothing, o, zero, zilch, zip

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Examples of oh in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Interjection

 And, oh, the 3 in 1 stand's tamales, my favorite in Indianapolis. — Liz Biro, Indianapolis Star, "The best thing to eat at every major farmers market around Indianapolis," 30 Aug. 2017 But, oh, that Super Bowl meltdown is not something a team, players or city get past easily. — Greg Cote, miamiherald, "See who’s No. 1 and where Dolphins land in our annual NFL Team Rankings," 30 Aug. 2017 Butler posted this photo to Instagram on Wednesday, and oh my, the dude is jacked now. — Andrew Joseph, USA TODAY, "Jimmy Butler's workout photo amazes NBA fans," 30 Aug. 2017 Claire Kevorkian added six kills and five blocks, while Hailey Belcher chipped in 24 assists, Elizabeth Gannon tallied 14 digs and Erica Oh contributed five aces. — Staff Reports, La Cañada Valley Sun, "Sports Roundup: La Cañada girls’ volleyball jumps above .500," 29 Aug. 2017 Uh oh, another Big Sky non-conference game for Washington State. — OregonLive.com, "Oregon Ducks launch the Willie Taggart era; Oregon State looks for answers: Issues & Answers," 29 Aug. 2017 Think of it like a garden party full of cars, and oh my what cars there were. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "Monterey Car Week is like Comic Con and the Oscars but with wheels," 24 Aug. 2017 Read More: Saudi Arabia’s Loosening Up Leaves Some Clinging to Tradition The short clip showed a young boy, dressed in shorts and a striped t-shirt, with headphones on, dancing oh a zebra crossing as traffic stopped at a red light. — Nour Al Ali, Bloomberg.com, "Saudi Police Detain 14-Year-Old After Viral Macarena Video," 23 Aug. 2017 Oh, the president disbanded the business councils altogether. — Robert Strand, Fortune, "How CEOs Decided Trump Is a Bad Investment," 16 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oh.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of oh

Interjection

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for oh

Interjection

Middle English o

Noun

o; from the similarity of the symbol for zero (0) to the letter O

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More Definitions for oh

oh

interjection
How to pronounce OH (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of oh

 (Entry 1 of 2)

—used to express surprise, happiness, disappointment, or sadness
—used in response to a physical sensation (such as pain)
—used to address someone directly

oh

noun
How to pronounce OH (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of oh (Entry 2 of 2)

US —used to show the way the number 0 is often pronounced

See the full definition for oh in the English Language Learners Dictionary

oh

interjection
variants: also O \ ō , ˈō \

Kids Definition of oh

1 —used to express an emotion (as surprise or pain) Oh, why did I ever come here?
2 —used in direct address Oh, children, stop that noise!

OH

abbreviation

Kids Definition of OH

Ohio

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More from Merriam-Webster on oh

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with oh

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for oh

Spanish Central: Translation of oh

Nglish: Translation of oh for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of oh for Arabic Speakers

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