# oops

/ˈups/ (US) · /ˈuːps/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/oops
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. acknowledging a mistake

interjection · CEFR A2 · Informal

you say this when you make a small mistake, drop something, or have a minor accident.

For teachers: used to acknowledge a minor lapse, clumsy action, or unintentional mistake.

- Oops, I didn't mean to spill my coffee on your desk.
- Oops, I seem to have sent that confidential email to the entire department by mistake.

Usage: Often used as a standalone exclamation immediately after the event.

Teaching tip: This is very common in spoken English but should be avoided in formal writing or professional apologies where 'I apologize' or 'my apologies' is better.

### 2. a minor error

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a small mistake or a minor problem.

For teachers: a minor blunder or an unforeseen difficulty, often used lightheartedly.

- The typo in the headline was a bit of an oops for the newspaper.
- The scheduling conflict was a major oops that left the keynote speaker waiting at the airport for an hour.

Usage: Usually functions as a countable noun.

## Examples

- Oops, I dropped my pen on the floor.
- Oops, I think I just sent that email to the wrong person.
- Oops, I didn't realize the meeting had already started when I walked into the room.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.