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

KHOR, Qatar — With a big whew from an unlikely source near closing time, Germany upped its chances to do something rarer than rare in its decorated World Cup history.

From Washington Post • Nov. 27, 2022

“He’s been working for, whew, a long time, countless amounts of hours, rehab, in the gym, in the weight room. And I’m excited for him to get back.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 6, 2022

He lets go and whew, I can breathe again.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas