whoops

American  

[hwoops, hwoops, woops, woops] / ʰwʊps, ʰwups, wʊps, wups /

Sometimes woops

interjection

1. (used to express surprise, mild embarrassment, etc., or as a casual apology.)

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whoops British  

/ wʊps /

interjection

1. an exclamation of surprise, as when a person falls over, or of apology

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Etymology

Origin of whoops

whoop + -s as in oops

Example Sentences

After each one emerged from the water, there were whoops and songs of joy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

While there were certainly whoops of joy when Mark Joseph Stern and Dahlia Lithwick reunited in this week’s Plus members-only episode, there was not much else to celebrate.

From Slate • Sep. 6, 2025

The result was greeted by whoops and cheers, with Polanski promising in his victory speech to "work every single day to grow this party" and paying tribute to his defeated rivals.

From BBC • Sep. 2, 2025

The whoops were especially loud for editorial cartoons featuring Sanders and for screen grabs of headlines from across the country as his national profile rose.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025

We could hear the whoops and hollers and splashing as soon as we walked up the driveway to a wrought iron gate standing ajar as if it were personally saying, Come on in.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English