jeez

[jeez]

interjection

1. (used as a mild expression of surprise, disappointment, astonishment, etc.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of jeez¹

1920–25, euphemistic shortening of Jesus

Example Sentences

“People come to the farm, taste the apples, and say ‘Jeez, that ain’t bad!

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"Jeez, mate, he's a missile out there," Tuipulotu said of the Irishman's physicality.

Read more on BBC

Rice recently saw the park and thought, “Oh, jeez, it looks even worse than when we started out.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“Jeez,” I said more to myself than to the physician.

Read more on Salon

The key point, says my Australian friend, is that everyone will shout, "Jeez, mate, there’s a dead cat on the table!"

Read more on Salon

When To Use

What does jeez mean?

Jeez is an informal way to express surprise, disappointment, frustration, annoyance, or exasperation.Jeez can also be spelled geez. It’s an interjection, meaning it’s typically said by itself (instead of as part of a sentence) to express some kind of emotion. It’s usually used before or after another statement, as in I wasn’t implying that at all. Jeez. The term jeez can be used in both negative and positive contexts, but it’s more often used negatively to express frustration with what someone has said or done.Jeez comes from a shortening of Jesus, which makes it a euphemism—a milder way of saying something that may be considered offensive, blasphemous, or harsh. Many other words like this (often called mild oaths or minced oaths) are formed in a similar way. The word gosh, for example, is an alteration of the word God.Jeez is commonly used in the phrase jeez louise, which means the same thing as jeez but is usually used in more humorous situations. (The name Louise is probably just added as a rhyme).Example: Jeez, Tim, you don’t have to be such a jerk.