oops

[oo ps, oops]

See more synonyms for oops on Thesaurus.com

interjection

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

Origin of oops

First recorded in 1925–30; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for oops

exclamation, wow, amen, hello, alas, boo, hurrah, ahem, oh, whoopee, hooray, shucks, er, ouch, rah, ah, egad, golly, hey, huh

Examples from the Web for oops

Contemporary Examples of oops

Unlike the chaste boys club devotees of ‘Dungeons and Losers’ (oops, ‘Dragons’) of yore, women play the new games and like them.
All the Grown-Up Hipsters Playing Kids’ Games
Daniel Genis
June 29, 2014
And so, a few months later, Smith announced he was leaving the race at last and that—oops!
Sen. Bob Smith: The Thing That Wouldn’t Leave
Michelle Cottle
December 4, 2013
This includes things like pharmacies, which sometimes don't have the cash to order new drugs, and oops!
Sorry, Folks: One Way or the Other, You'll Never Be Able to Completely Count on Retirement
Megan McArdle
March 15, 2013
In the end, you've got a study of unusually compliant and stable people (who may be different in all sorts of ways) and oops!
Pilot Programs: Don't Believe the Hype
Megan McArdle
January 3, 2013
He runs the secret government agency trying to kill Jason—oops, I mean Aaron—and Marta.
‘The Bourne Legacy’ Starring Jeremy Renner: 7 Reasons to See It!
Ramin Setoodeh
August 10, 2012

Historical Examples of oops

There was a tremendous crash from the kitchen, a shriek of surprise, then a small “oops.”
Makers
Cory Doctorow
He saw my look and said, "Oops, I mean this milestone in paper technology once it is announced to the world."
The Professional Approach
Charles Leonard Harness

British Dictionary definitions for oops

oops

interjection

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

Word Origin and History for oops

"a natural exclamation" [OED] of surprise at doing something awkward, but attested only from 1933 (cf. whoops).