ow

American

[ou] / aʊ /

interjection

(used especially as an expression of intense or sudden pain.)

ow British

/ aʊ /

interjection

an exclamation of pain

"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

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.

"Ow!" cried Jeremy, pulling back his hand.

From Literature

“Ow! Gelifen! By the Immortal, that hurt! Here, you take him.”

From Literature

Then he shouted “Ow!” because it hurt.

From Literature

“You already said that,” Zeke said, then said “Ow!” again.

From Literature

Here, the aliens have become more assertive: “Ow, we need the funk / We gotta have that funk.”

From The Wall Street Journal

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