ENGLISH
REFERENCE

oof

interj.
B2 Upper Intermediate UK //ˈuːf// oof Archaic Slang

interj. an exclamation you use when you see or hear something painful, embarrassing, or surprising. It is like a verbal reaction to a 'gut punch' or a big mistake.

interj. an utterance expressing sympathy, discomfort, or a reaction to a perceived social or physical blow. Common in digital communication to acknowledge a mistake or a difficult situation.


SIMPLE

Oof, that looks like it really hurt.

CONTEXTUAL

When I told him the repair would cost a thousand dollars, he just replied with a long 'Oof'.

COMPLEX

The audience let out a collective 'oof' as the protagonist made the exact social blunder they had been dreading for the entire scene.

Etymology 1

An onomatopoeia. Similar to Dutch oef and German uff.

Etymology 2

Clipping of ooftish.

Usage

Typically used as a standalone reaction or at the start of a sentence; very common in text-based internet slang.

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