Synonyms

pooh-pooh

American

[poo-poo] / ˈpuˈpu /

verb (used with object)

to express disdain or contempt for; dismiss lightly.

He pooh-poohed all their superstitious fears.

verb (used without object)

to express disdain or contempt.

pooh-pooh British

/ ˈpuːˈpuː /

verb

(tr) to express disdain or scorn for; dismiss or belittle

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

pooh-pooher

noun

Etymology

Origin of pooh-pooh

First recorded in 1820–30; v. use of reduplication of pooh ¹

Vocabulary lists containing pooh-pooh

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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.

It also doesn’t surprise me that you pooh-pooh Newsom’s prospects.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 14, 2025

I think we all pooh-pooh broadcast these days, but I am the showrunner I am because of broadcast, without a doubt.

From New York Times • May 17, 2023

While some people may pooh-pooh such products, items such as bottarga or even baccala are genuinely cherished in fine dining and Italian-American circles, respectively.

From Salon • May 12, 2023

That’s not to pooh-pooh the power of those two states.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 5, 2022

Initially, President Eisenhower tried to pooh-pooh the Russians’ “small ball in the air” as an insignificant achievement, but the American people would have none of it.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

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