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aw

1 American  
[aw] / ɔ /

interjection

  1. (used to express protest, disbelief, disgust, or commiseration.)

  2. (used to express sentimental or sugary approval.)

AW 2 American  

  1. Articles of War.

a.w. 3 American  
Or aw

abbreviation

  1. actual weight.

  2. (in shipping) all water.

  3. atomic weight.

aw 1 British  
/ ɔː /

determiner

  1. a variant spelling of a'

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
aw 2 British  
/ ɔː /

interjection

  1. informal an expression of disapproval, commiseration, or appeal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
aw 3 British  

abbreviation

  1. Aruba

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of aw

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"From the minute he dropped his hood… I thought aw he's lovely, really nice person. I felt relaxed," said Rachel.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026

Dressed in jeans, fashionable sandals and a white T-shirt emblazoned with Andy Anaheim, the city’s cheery mascot, Rubalcava offered me an aw shucks grin.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2024

Some linguists trace it back to the Scots-Irish phrase "ye aw"; others suggest an African American origin, perhaps from the Igbo word for "you" brought over by Nigerian-born enslaved people.

From Salon • Dec. 5, 2022

“And I didn’t like it. And I was losing that joy in life. Like, the joy. I’m sorry right now, but, aw, dang, let me …”

From Washington Post • Sep. 26, 2021

The kid’s narrow eyes widened “ IS aw you never,” he said.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.