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

pooh-pooher noun

Etymology

Origin of pooh-pooh

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

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.

Try as the studios might to pooh-pooh the possibility of artificial intelligence taking over work formerly done by writers and actors, their own high-level AI-related job postings give them away.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 3, 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

While it is easy to pooh-pooh the most dire forecasts that have the market losing half to two-thirds of its value, consider that it’s already taken a big step down.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 18, 2022

“I used to pooh-pooh all that anxiety stuff and think you can get through this. And then I went through the divorce.”

From New York Times • May 10, 2022

My grandfather is stunned into a momentary silence, then says, “Einstein published a long time ago, too. Are you gonna pooh-pooh him?”

From "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm

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