whew

American  

[hwyoo] / ʰwyu /

interjection

1. (a whistling exclamation or sound expressing astonishment, dismay, relief, etc.)

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noun

1. an utterance of “whew.”

whew British  

/ hwjuː /

interjection

1. an exclamation or sharply exhaled breath expressing relief, surprise, delight, etc

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Etymology

Origin of whew

First recorded in 1505–15; imitative

Example Sentences

But whew boy, the situation is even worse than early reporting implied!

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2023

It weighs less than half as much as St. Edward’s Crown, so, whew.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2023

“Nineteen is, whew, I don’t know any place else that’s done that,” said Margaret Moore, Garza’s predecessor as the district attorney of Travis County.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 19, 2022

It was like, whew, because that stuff can wear on you after time.

From Salon • Oct. 28, 2021

I didn’t even see Augustus come upstairs, but he came over and wiped his brow with the back of his hand like whew and said, “You’re a champion.”

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green