Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

oops

American  
[oops, oops] / ʊps, ups /

interjection

  1. (used to express mild dismay, chagrin, surprise, etc., as at one's own mistake, a clumsy act, or social blunder.)

oops British  
/ ʊps, uːps /

interjection

  1. an exclamation of surprise or of apology as when someone drops something or makes a mistake

"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 oops

First recorded in 1925–30; origin uncertain

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.

Kylee makes an “oops” face and puts up a hand.

From Literature

I look that way and oops, there’s Gene, doing his best impression of a fixated hyena or grizzly or something.

From Literature

Several people in the class laugh and somebody says “Oops” in a cartoony voice.

From Literature

We have the majority deciding in advance: Oops, we think Texas is going to win in the end.

From Slate

If you’re prone to overspending, you may want to set aside a sum of money right now, if possible, as an “Oops Fund” while you have the cash, said Melissa Cox, a financial planner at Future-Focused Wealth.

From MarketWatch

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.