wah
n. C / Un. a sound effect used by guitar players that makes the instrument sound like a human voice saying 'wah'. You usually control it with a foot pedal while you play.
n. a musical effect that filters the frequency response of an instrument to mimic the human voice. Often used as a modifier for the specific pedal or the resulting sound.
The guitarist used a wah pedal for the solo.
He stepped on the wah to give the funk riff that classic crying sound.
While most associated with 1970s funk and psychedelic rock, the wah effect remains a staple for soloists seeking to add vocal-like expression to their electric guitar phrasing.
From Nepali हाब्रे (wah donka).
Imitative.
From Cantonese 嘩 /哗 (waa³) or Mandarin 哇 (wa).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used attributively in the phrase 'wah pedal' or as an onomatopoeic noun for the sound itself.
Last updated May 6, 2026