Whoa
/woʊ/noun
An interjection used to command a person, animal, or vehicle to stop or slow down.
Did you know?Its exact origin is uncertain, but whoa developed as a commanding call to halt—an example of language functioning as a spoken act of control rather than a description.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English period
English
ho
“A call used to attract attention, summon someone, or command a halt.”
16th Century
English
ho! / wo!
“Interjections used as cries to stop, call attention, or restrain movement.”
17th–18th Century
English
woa
“A variant command directed especially at horses to stop or slow down.”
19th Century
English
whoa
“A conventionalized spelling of the halt command, increasingly associated with horses.”
Modern English
English
whoa
“A command to stop or slow down, also used figuratively to express surprise, alarm, or a request for restraint.”