variants or less commonly O
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

2 of 3

noun

: zero

OH

3 of 3

abbreviation

Ohio

Examples of oh in a Sentence

Noun the number is one-oh-two-four
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Interjection
And oh, the power play Imagine a recent season in which the Rangers, in a tie game, get three power plays over the final 9:14 of regulation, including a 24-second five-on-three. Arthur Staple, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025 And, oh my God, the actors in that scene were so lovely and sweet and felt so bad. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 9 Mar. 2025 And while a preshow video displayed a parade of hairstyles that have come and gone — oh, the mullet era! — the big white cowboy hat remains. Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2025 For oh so long, Edward Cabrera has flashed tantalizing talent with the Miami Marlins. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for oh

Word History

Etymology

Interjection

Middle English o

Noun

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

First Known Use

Interjection

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oh was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oh. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

oh

1 of 2 interjection
variants or O
(ˈ)ō
1
used to express an emotion (as astonishment or desire) or in response to a physical sensation (as pain)
2
used in direct address
Oh sir, you forgot your change
3
used to express understanding of a statement
oh, that's what you mean
4
used to introduce an example or a guess
there are probably, oh, six or seven different ways to do that

oh

2 of 2 noun

More from Merriam-Webster on oh

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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