uh-oh

American  

[uh-oh] / ˈʌˌoʊ /

interjection

1. (used to indicate concern or chagrin at a mildly unfortunate event.)

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Usage

What does uh-oh mean? Uh-oh is an expression used to indicate mild alarm or concern in response to something negative, such as a mistake. It’s typically said right when you realize something is wrong or something bad has happened. It’s sometimes spelled uh oh, without the hyphen. Uh-oh is an interjection, meaning it’s a term used to express emotion, often outside of a sentence. Uh-oh is usually only used in response to situations that are mildly bad or unfortunate, like minor mistakes or setbacks—you wouldn’t say uh-oh in response to a tragedy or something very serious. Uh-oh can also be used in a very informal way as a noun meaning a mistake or something that’s cause for concern, as in That part was an uh-oh, but I thought it looked good so I kept it as it was. This can sound childish (much like calling a mistake a boo-boo) and is often used to be humorous. Example: Uh-oh—looks like I forgot to mail that letter.

Example Sentences

Now that you’re ready to go, uh oh, your cell service is bad.

From Fox News • Jan. 2, 2022

And then realizing uh oh — I . . . need to back off.

From Salon • Oct. 16, 2021

“Candyman” — uh, oh, how many times has his name been typed by now? — is an unusual horror movie set in the luxury lofts and haughty art world of Chicago.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 27, 2021

Then again, clowns can be storm clouds, early warning signals that something’s disturbingly funny — funny ha ha and funny uh oh.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2020

And now everyone from Ivy League Nobel Prize winners to former Treasury Secretaries to former heads of the Federal Reserve--"respected" economists all--are having their "uh oh" moments, one by one.

From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2016