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Synonyms

phew

American  
[fyoo, pfyoo, whyoo] / fju, pfju, whju /

interjection

  1. (used as an exclamation to express disgust, exhaustion, surprise, impatience, relief, etc.).

    Phew, it's hot!


phew British  
/ fjuː /

interjection

  1. an exclamation of relief, surprise, disbelief, weariness, etc

"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 phew

First recorded in 1595–1605

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.

See Examples For:

When they said you can now have your mother and father with you forever, I was like, wow — that’s, phew, I don’t know.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 15, 2023

“I don’t know how many kilometers I was alone - phew, it was a bit risky but I tried to up the pace and I really profited.”

From Washington Post Jul. 17, 2018

And then it's a unanimous 'yes' and you're like, 'oh phew!

From BBC Jan. 20, 2014

But I had a lot more fun watching the performances this week than I ever expected, so that's a great big "phew" from the peanut gallery, and I'll eventually learn to trust the producers.

From Salon Jul. 15, 2010

Genie braced for that argument to start back up when, phew, Ernie came out the door.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

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