uh-oh
Americaninterjection
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Opal Sandy was treated shortly before her first birthday - and six months on, can hear sounds as soft as a whisper and is starting to talk, saying words such as "Mama", "Dada" and "uh-oh".
From BBC • May 8, 2024
The Cavaliers played tight again against 16th-seeded Gardner-Webb and trailed by 14 in the first half, stirring their own uh-oh moment that both Jerome and Hunter referenced when discussing 2019.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 20, 2024
We got familiar with the uh-oh reflex those notices evoked in us — a gut-level assumption proved wrong each time we lucked into a wonderful understudy.
From New York Times • May 17, 2022
“It almost felt like, uh-oh, this is where the pressure begins,” Blu said.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2020
“Why are you smiling like that? Is this the uh-oh part?”
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
