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

Example Sentences

“Whoa!” they both cried after hitting the first of many knobs and swells along the way.

From Literature

“Whoa!” cried Duane again, this time on his own.

From Literature

Just take a look back 20 years ago, to March 5, 2006, when the normally unflappable Jack Nicholson was so astonished by reading out the name of the best picture winner his eyebrows nearly shot off his head, and he mouthed, “Whoa.”

From Los Angeles Times

Nicholson’s “whoa” was collectively shared.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s hard because you’re like, “Wait, whoa, that person kind of got it right,” and “Whoa that person doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”

From Los Angeles Times