Whew
/wjuː/noun
An interjection expressing relief, fatigue, surprise, or astonishment.
Did you know?Unlike words with traceable roots, “whew” is an expressive or imitative interjection, likely shaped to resemble an audible exhalation rather than inherited from an ancient vocabulary.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
whoo
“An exclamation used to express surprise, excitement, or alarm; an earlier expressive form related to later breath-like interjections.”
17th Century
English
whew
“An interjection recorded as an expression of relief, astonishment, or exertion.”
18th Century
English
whew
“The spelling becomes established in written English, often representing a forceful exhalation.”
19th Century
English
whew
“Commonly used in speech and literature to signal relief, weariness, heat, or emotional intensity.”
Modern English
English
whew
“A standard informal interjection expressing relief, surprise, fatigue, or the sense of having narrowly escaped difficulty.”