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• gee whiz
  gee whiz

  interjection

  gee.
• gee-whiz
  gee-whiz

  adjective

  arousing or characterized by surprise, wonder, or triumphant achievement.

gee whiz

¹ American  

interjection

Informal.

1. gee.

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gee-whiz ² American  

[jee-hwiz, -wiz] / ˈdʒiˈʰwɪz, -ˈwɪz /

adjective

Informal.

1. arousing or characterized by surprise, wonder, or triumphant achievement.

   a gee-whiz technology; a gee-whiz reaction to the sight of the Grand Canyon.

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gee-whiz British  

adjective

1. informal impressive or amazing

   gee-whiz special effects

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gee whiz Idioms  

1. An expression of surprise, dismay, or enthusiasm. For example, Gee whiz, Dad, I thought you'd let me borrow the car, or Gee whiz, they finally won the Series! This term is thought to be a euphemism for “Jesus Christ.” [Slang; 1870s]

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Etymology

Origin of gee whiz¹

1880–85, apparently euphemistic alteration of Jesus, with final syllable replaced by whiz ¹

Origin of gee-whiz²

First recorded in 1930–35

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gee whiz gee-whiz

I said, gee, whiz, I mean, I thought, I thought, that the world would come to an end.

From Scientific American ● Apr. 6, 2023

It seems fleeting at first, but gee whiz — it actually works out for these two!

From Washington Post ● Jul. 29, 2019

In all of those towns, and this was way pre-Trump, I think the main thing that struck us, after we got over the kind of gee whiz factor.

From Slate ● May 2, 2018

But gee whiz, between Judge Moore and this Whacky Sheriff, it looks like Alabama is the Cowboy State.

From New York Times ● Dec. 14, 2017

"It isn't as if we were going out of sight of land; gee whiz, then I'd have brought quite a lot of stuff."

From Pee-Wee Harris Adrift by Percy Keese Fitzhugh

To be fair, Altman, too, voices concerns, but in an almost gee-whiz wonderment that leaves no doubt he’s on the side of the robot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 7, 2026

Can a coach from a different generation teach a youngster who “doesn’t give a gee-whiz about anybody” what football is all about in time for the make-or-break big game?

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2023

Art generated by A.I. isn’t just a gee-whiz phenomenon, something that wins prizes, or even a fascinating subject for debate—it has valuable commercial uses, too.

From Slate ● Sep. 12, 2022

A recent television news report showed a prototype house in California being built using a large-scale 3D printer, visually a gee-whiz moment.

From Washington Post ● May 23, 2022

Well, gee-whiz, I’d say they was under arrest now.

From Stepsons of Light by Eugene Manlove Rhodes

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