Small Expressive Interjections
 

[B][CENTER]Small Expressive Interjections[/CENTER][/B]

[B]Ack: [/B]communicates disgust or dismissal.

[B]Ah:[/B] can denote positive emotions like relief or delight (generally, pronounced with a long a).

[B]Aha:[/B] signals triumph or surprise, or perhaps derision.

[B]Ahem:[/B] is employed to gain attention.

[B]Argh:[/B] often drawn out with additional h’s, is all about frustration.

[B]Aw:[/B] can be dismissive or indicative of disappointment, or, when drawn out, expressive of sympathy or adoration.

[B]Aye:[/B] denotes agreement.

[B]Bah:[/B] is dismissive.

[B]Blah:[/B] communicates boredom or disappointment.

[B]Blech (or bleah or bleh[/B]): implies nausea.

[B]Boo:[/B] is an exclamation to provoke fright.

[B]Boo-hoo:[/B] is imitative of crying and is derisive.

[B]Boo-ya:[/B] (with several spelling variants) is a cry of triumph.

[B]Bwah-hah-hah:[/B] (variously spelled, including mwah-hah-hah) facetiously mimics the stereotypical archvillain’s triumphant laugh.

[B]D’oh: [/B] is the spelling for the muttering accompanying Homer Simpson’s trademark head-slapping self-abuse.

[B]Duh: [/B]derides someone who seems dense.

[B]Eek:[/B] indicates an unpleasant surprise.

[B]Eh: [/B]with a question mark, is a request for repetition or confirmation of what was just said; without, it is dismissive.

[B]Er (sometimes erm):[/B] plays for time.

[B]Ew:[/B] denotes disgust, intensified by the addition of one or more e’s and/or w’s.

[B]Feh (and meh): [/B] is an indication of feeling underwhelmed or disappointed.

[B]Gak:[/B] is an expression of disgust or distaste.

[B]Ha: [/B]expresses joy or surprise, or perhaps triumph.

[B]Ha-ha:[/B] (with possible redoubling) communicates laughter or derision.

[B]Hamana-hamana :[/B], variously spelled, and duplicated as needed, implies speechless embarrassment.

[B]Hardy-har-har, or har-har[/B] repeated as needed, communicates mock amusement.

[B]Hee-hee: [/B] is a mischievous laugh, while its variants heh and heh-heh (and so on) can have a more derisive connotation.

[B]Hey:[/B] can express surprise or exultation, or can be used to request repetition or call for attention.

[B]Hist:[/B] signals the desire for silence.

[B]Hm:[/B], extended as needed, suggests curiosity, confusion, consternation, or skepticism.

[B]Hmph (also hrmph or humph):[/B] indicates displeasure or indignation.

[B]Ho-ho :[/B] is expressive of mirth, or (along with its variant oh-ho) can indicate triumph of discovery.

[B]Ho-hum: [/B]signals indifference or boredom.

[B]Hubba-hubba:[/B] is the vocal equivalent of a leer.

[B]Huh (or hunh):[/B] is a sign of disbelief, confusion, or surprise, or, with a question mark, is a request for repetition.

[B]Hup:[/B] from the sound-off a military cadence chant, signals beginning an exerting task.

[B]Hurrah (also hoorah, hooray, and hurray, and even huzzah):[/B] is an exclamation of triumph or happiness.

[B]Ick: [/B] signals disgust.

[B]Lah-de-dah:[/B] denotes nonchalance or dismissal, or derision about pretension.

[B]Mm-hmm:[/B] variously spelled, is an affirmative or corroborating response.

[B]Mmm: [/B]extended as needed, conveys palatable or palpable pleasure.

[B]Mwah[/B] is suggestive of a kiss, often implying unctuous or exaggerated affection.

[B]Neener-neene[/B]r, often uttered in a series of three repetitions, is a taunt.

[B]Now[/B] (often repeated “Now, now”) is uttered as an admonition.

[B]Oh[/B] is among the most versatile of interjections. Use it to indicate comprehension or acknowledgment (or, with a question mark, a request for verification), to preface direct address (“Oh, sir!”), as a sign of approximation or example (“Oh, about three days”), or to express emotion or serves as a response to a pain or pleasure. (Ooh is a variant useful for the last two purposes.)

[B]Oh-oh[/B] (or alternatives in which oh is followed by various words) is a warning response to something that will have negative repercussions.

[B]Olé,[/B] with an accent mark over the e, is borrowed from Spanish and is a vocal flourish to celebrate a deft or adroit maneuver.

[B]Ooh,[/B] with o’s repeated as needed, conveys interest or admiration, or, alternatively, disdain.

[B]Ooh-la-la[/B] is a response to an attempt to impress or gently mocks pretension or finery.

[B]Oops[/B] (and the jocular diminutive variation oopsie or oopsy and the variant whoops) calls attention to an error or fault.

[B]Ouch[/B] (or ow, extended as needed) signals pain or is a response to a harsh word or action.

[B]Oy,[/B] part of Yiddish expressions such as oy gevalt (equivalent to “Uh-oh”), is a lament of frustration, concern, or self-pity.

[B]Pff,[/B] extended as needed, expresses disappointment, disdain, or annoyance.

[B]Pfft or phfft,[/B] communicates abrupt ending or departure or is a sardonic dismissal akin to pff.

[B]Phew or pew,[/B] communicates disgust, fatigue, or relief. (Phooey, also spelled pfui, is a signal for disgust, too, and can denote dismissal as well. PU and P.U. are also variants.)

[B]Poof[/B] is imitative of a sudden disappearance, as if by magic.

[B]Pooh[/B] is a contemptuous exclamation.

[B]Pshaw[/B] denotes disbelief, disapproval, or irritation or, alternatively, communicates facetious self-consciousness.

[B]Psst[/B] calls for quiet.

[B]Rah,[/B] perhaps repeated, signals triumph.

[B]Shh[/B] (extended as necessary) is an imperative for silence.

[B]Sis boom bah[/B] is an outdated encouraging cry, most likely to be used mockingly now.

[B]Tchah[/B] communicates annoyance.

[B]Tsk-tsk[/B] and its even snootier variant tut-tut are condemnations or scoldings; the related sound tch is the teeth-and-tongue click of disapproval.

[B]Ugh[/B] is an exclamation of disgust.

[B]Uh[/B] is an expression of skepticism or a delaying tactic.
[B]
Uh-huh[/B] indicates affirmation or agreement.

[B]Uh-oh[/B] signals concern or dismay.

[B]Uh-uh[/B] is the sound of negation or refusal.

[B]Um[/B] is a placeholder for a pause but also denotes skepticism.

[B]Va-va-voom[/B] is an old-fashioned exclamation denoting admiration of physical attractiveness.

[B]Whee[/B] is an exclamation of excitement or delight.

[B]Whew[/B] is a variant of phew but can also express amazement.

[B]Whoa[/B] is a call to halt or an exclamation of surprise or relief.

[B]Whoop-de-doo[/B] and its many variants convey mocking reaction to something meant to impress.

[B]Woo and woo-hoo[/B] (and variations like yahoo, yee-haw, and yippee) indicate excitement. (Woot, also spelled w00t among an online in-crowd, is a probably ephemeral variant.)

[B]Wow[/B] expresses surprise.

[B]Yay[/B] is a congratulatory exclamation. (Not to be confused with yeah, a variant of yes.)

[B]Yikes[/B] is an expression of fear or concern, often used facetiously.

[B]Yo-ho-ho[/B] is the traditional pirates’ refrain.

[B]Yoo-hoo[/B] attracts attention.

[B]Yow or yowza[/B], is an exclamation of surprise or conveys being impressed.

[B]Yuck[/B] (also spelled yech or yecch) signals disgust. (Not to be confused with yuk, a laugh.)

[B]Yum or yummy[/B], is a response to the taste of something delicious and, by extension, the sight of an attractive person.

[B]Zoinks[/B] is an expression of surprise or amazement popularized by the cartoon character Shaggy, of Scooby Doo fame.

[B]Zowie[/B], often in combination following wowie, a variant of wow, expresses admiration or astonishment.