whoa

American  

[hwoh, woh] / ʰwoʊ, woʊ /

Sometimes woah

interjection

1. (used to command an animal, especially a horse, to stop.)

2. (used to tell a person to stop, wait, or slow down).

   Whoa, you need to sit over there and calm yourself.

3. (an exclamation of surprise, wonder, pleasure, etc.).

   Whoa, that's a great photo!

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whoa British  

/ wəʊ /

interjection

1. a command used esp to horses to stop or slow down

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Usage

What does whoa mean? Whoa is used to express that something is impressive, surprising, or astounding, as in Whoa! Look at that sunset! In this sense, it’s very similar to wow. Whoa is also used as a command to stop. This command is especially associated with its use to get a horse to stop or slow down. Whoa is an interjection, meaning it’s typically used by itself outside of a sentence. Some people spell it woah. Example: When I told Keanu that the horse was running right at him, he just stood there and said, “Whoa.”

Etymology

Origin of whoa

First recorded in 1460–80; dialectal variant of ho ²

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

whoa

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa — keep your distance,” it goes, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa — that’s less than two meters.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2025

Then that front gives him a little bit of time, you’ve got a good scheme, and all of a sudden it’s whoa, he’s successful.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2024

You're thinking, whoa, how is it that I can like that guy?

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2024

Circadian rhythms might take a noticeable hit, with nocturnal animals mistakenly waking up and starting their day only to realize that, whoa, nighttime is already over.

From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2024

Not the kind of scare that makes your knee bones feel like water, more the kind of scare where you go whoa!

From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick

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