oops

Synonym discussion

Sense: exclamation/1

'Oops' is the everyday reaction for a small mistake, a little spill, or a social slip. 'Whoops' is almost the same, but it often sounds a bit more playful or childlike. 'Uh-oh' is different: speakers use it when they see trouble coming or realize something is wrong, even if they did not cause it. 'Sorry' is more direct and polite because it focuses on apologizing, not on the surprise of the mistake itself. 'My bad' openly accepts responsibility, but it is more casual and more common in American speech. If you drop a spoon, say 'Oops.' If dark clouds reach the picnic, say 'Uh-oh.' If you step on someone's foot, say 'Sorry.'

Common collocations

Etymology

'Oops' is a modern English reaction word recorded in print from the early 1900s. It appears to be a shortened or variant form of 'whoops' or 'woops', another cry people make when something small goes wrong. Because it imitates a sudden human sound rather than developing from a longer lexical root, it is treated as a natural interjection. In modern use, it settled into informal speech for minor accidents, slips of the tongue, and small embarrassing moments.