ow

IPA/aʊ/
KK[ˈaʊ]IPA/aʊ/

ow — exclamation

1. a quick cry someone makes the instant a part of the body is hurt.

1.exclamationA1
Definition

a quick cry someone makes the instant a part of the body is hurt.

Example

Ow, I banged my knee on the corner of the table.

Ow, + clause after sudden pain

Nina cried, "Ow!" when the puppy stepped on her bare foot.

quoted interjection after a small injury

Common collocations
  • say "ow"
  • cry "ow"
  • mutter "ow"
  • ow, my hand
Synonyms
  • ouch

    a slightly fuller everyday pain cry, often sounding a little stronger

  • oof

    often used for a hit, fall, or pain mixed with surprise

  • ugh

    usually shows annoyance or disgust rather than sharp pain

Grammar Patterns

Ow! + short pain reaction

Ow, + body-part comment

Usage Note

Usually said by itself or before a very short follow-up comment such as 'ow, my hand'. It marks the moment of pain, not the longer state after that, so speakers then switch to verbs like 'hurt' or 'ache'.

Common Mistakes

My ankle is ow after football.
My ankle hurts after football.
use 'ow' as a spoken reaction, not as an adjective.
I owed when the pan touched my arm.
I said "ow" when the pan touched my arm.
here 'ow' is the cry itself, not the past tense of a verb.

ow — abbreviation

Synonym discussion

Sense: exclamation/1

For a quick, sharp pain, 'ow' is one of the shortest and most direct reactions in English. 'Ouch' is very close, but it sounds a little fuller and is often used when the speaker wants to show the pain more clearly. 'Oof' often follows a hit, fall, or heavy landing, so it mixes pain with shock. 'Ugh' is different because it usually shows annoyance, disgust, or tired frustration, not a sudden sting in the body. 'Yikes' mainly shows alarm or nervous surprise. If you hit your knee on a chair, 'Ow!' fits naturally. If a friend falls hard off a bike, 'Oof!' may sound more natural.

ouch ↗oofugh ↗yikes ↗

Etymology

Middle EnglishModern English

'Ow' is an imitative English pain cry, written to match the sound people make when something hurts suddenly. English has used spellings of this natural reaction for a long time, and the word did not grow from an ordinary noun or verb root in the way many other words did. The abbreviation sense is much later and simply shortens 'one-way' in travel and booking contexts.