my word
An expression of surprise.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“My word, that is a very tall building!”
“My word, I did not expect to see you here at this time of night.”
“My word, the sheer scale of the landscape before us is truly breathtaking to behold.”
Derived from the full oath *upon my word*, a phrase which has functioned as a formal attestation of truth since the seventeenth century. The abbreviated form emerged as a milder expression of surprise or emphasis, retaining the structure of the original pledge while shedding the gravity of the legal or social commitment.
- 01
bad word
A vulgar word.
- 02
breathe a word
To divulge even part of a secret (usually used with a negative).
- 03
dicky
[Cockney slang]word
- 04
dirty word
The name of a topic that a person prefers not to hear or discuss.
- 05
empty words
Any type of talk with little meaning; a message that seems to contain meaningful content but is actually vapid.
- 06
from the word go
From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.
- 07
get the word out
To make some information more widely known.
- 08
hang on every word
To be completely attentive to what another person is saying.
Last updated August 10, 2026