yeehaw

American  

[yee-haw] / ˈyiˈhɔ /

interjection

Informal

1. (used as an exclamation expressing celebration, delight, or joy, and associated with cowboys or the culture of the rural or southwestern United States).

   Yeehaw! Tomorrow's the rodeo!

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noun

1. the exclamation “yeehaw”.

   She jumped on the bull and gave a loud yeehaw.

verb (used without object)

1. to exclaim or utter “yeehaw”.

   They yeehawed as they rode by in the truck.

adjective

1. Slang: Sometimes Disparaging. of or relating to cowboys or to the culture of the rural or southern United States: I'm wearing the most yeehaw outfit of my life to the bar tonight—cowboy hat and fringe.

   Birthing a calf by myself in the middle of the night is the most yeehaw thing I've done as a farmer.

   I'm wearing the most yeehaw outfit of my life to the bar tonight—cowboy hat and fringe.

   I hate living in this yeehaw state! I want to move to New York City!

Etymology

Origin of yeehaw

First recorded in 1940–45; of imitative origin; cf. yahoo ( def. )

Example Sentences

Calling themselves "pop girlies with a little bit of yeehaw", the band was formed by school friends Lauren Byrne, Holly-Anne Hull and Charlotte Steel in 2013.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2025

The new Scrabble book includes at least one old-fashioned word that simply fell under the radar for years: yeehaw.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2022

Why yes, we’re putting Texas in the “Texas-sized” three-hole here, yeehaw, boy-howdy, etc.

From Slate • Oct. 23, 2020

This didn’t noticeably affect my day-to-day riding but did make wheelies easier... yeehaw!

From The Verge • Jun. 8, 2019

His oversized jeans and plaid shirts are more yeehaw than city slicker, so he fits right in.

From The Guardian • Dec. 22, 2015