welp

[welp]

interjection

Nonstandard.

1. an informal variant of well used to indicate disappointment, resignation, or acceptance at the beginning of an utterance.

   Welp, this might not work out for us after all.

Word History and Origins

Origin of welp¹

First recorded in 1945–50; form of well as an isolated or emphatic utterance, with an excrescent p representing closing of the lips, creating an unreleased labial stop; compare the parallel use of p in nope ( def. ) and yup ( def. ).

Example Sentences

Kai Welp, the head of GEMA's legal department, said it was "crucial for authors receive remuneration for the commercial exploitation of their works so that they can make a living".

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"It is to be hoped that today's decision will increase the willingness of AI companies to negotiate and that, in this way, fair remuneration for our members can be agreed," Welp said.

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I tried to inform my friend of the rage-inducing incident and started typing, “even just tapping on the imag”—welp, I didn’t get to finish that word, much less the phrase.

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“When I got back here, I was like “Welp, most of my friends are gone, or at least not in the area,” says Hermosa, who works from home.

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To put it bluntly: If Harris was considered too Black to be our first Black female president, then, welp!

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When To Use

What does welp mean?

Welp, an alternative pronunciation of well, and is an interjection typically used at the beginning of a sentence to express resignation or disappointment.