Interjections

Interjections are short words or phrases that express a sudden feeling, reaction, or attitude, often standing apart from the rest of the sentence. You may hear them when someone is surprised, annoyed, pleased, or in pain: "oh" can show realisation, "wow" can signal admiration, and "ouch" can convey discomfort. They are usually brief and punchy, and they often appear at the beginning of a sentence, though they can also be set off by commas or exclamation marks. Because they do not behave like ordinary nouns, verbs, or adjectives, interjections give language an immediate, spoken quality that can be difficult to capture with longer explanations alone.

These small expressions matter because they add naturalness, emphasis, and emotional colour to both speech and writing. Used well, they can make dialogue feel authentic, help a writer convey tone quickly, and let a speaker react with clarity and confidence. Used carelessly, they can sound childish, overdramatic, or out of place, so it helps to understand when and how they fit the context. This page is designed to help you do exactly that by showing how interjections work, where they are commonly used, and how their punctuation and tone affect meaning. Explore the examples here to sharpen your instincts and use these expressive words more accurately in everyday English.

159 entries in this category

Agreement & Approval

15
Yes!

Used to show agreement, approval, or success.

"Yes! That is exactly the result we wanted."

Right!

Used to express agreement or to confirm that something is correct.

"Right! I think that is the best plan."

Absolutely!

Used to strongly agree with someone or strongly approve of an idea.

"Absolutely! I would love to join you."

Exactly!

Used to show that you fully agree with what has been said.

"Exactly! That is what I meant."

Sure!

Used to agree to a request or show willingness.

"Sure! I can help you with that."

Okay!

Used to accept, agree, or show approval in a casual way.

"Okay! We can start whenever you are ready."

Indeed!

Used to emphasize agreement or confirm that something is true.

"Indeed! That was a very smart decision."

Certainly!

Used to politely and clearly show agreement or acceptance.

"Certainly! I will send the report this afternoon."

Fine!

Used to accept something or show calm agreement.

"Fine! We can do it your way."

Good!

Used to show approval or satisfaction with something.

"Good! That answer solves the problem."

Wonderful!

Used to express delighted approval or strong appreciation.

"Wonderful! I cannot wait to see the finished room."

Uh-huh!

Used to show informal agreement or acknowledgment.

"Uh-huh! I understand what you mean."

Hear, hear!

Used to strongly agree with and support a statement.

"Hear, hear! That is a fair and sensible decision."

Amen!

Used to express strong agreement with a statement or wish.

"Amen! That was a thoughtful and honest comment."

Roger!

Used to show that a message has been understood and accepted.

"Roger! I will handle it right away."

Calling Attention

16
Yo!

Used informally to get attention, especially in casual speech.

"Yo! Come over here for a minute."

Psst!

Used to quietly attract someone's attention.

"Psst! Look at the answer key under the desk."

Ahem!

Used to politely or pointedly get attention before speaking.

"Ahem! I think I have something to add."

Oi!

Used to get someone's attention, often in a firm or rude way.

"Oi! Watch where you are going!"

Listen!

Used to urge someone to pay attention to what follows.

"Listen! I need to explain something important."

Look!

Used to draw attention to something visible or important.

"Look! There is a rainbow over the hills."

Hey there!

Used to get attention in a friendly, casual way.

"Hey there! Are you free this afternoon?"

Excuse me!

Used to politely get someone's attention or interrupt.

"Excuse me! Do you know where the station is?"

Hello there!

Used as a friendly way to greet someone or call attention.

"Hello there! I did not expect to see you here."

Well!

Used to introduce a remark and draw attention to what is being said.

"Well! That was a surprising result."

Now!

Used to focus attention on something immediate or important.

"Now! We need to leave right away."

Here!

Used to call attention to something near the speaker.

"Here! Take this before you go."

There!

Used to direct attention to something or to indicate completion or emphasis.

"There! I finally fixed the problem."

Hark!

Used to call attention to something that should be listened to.

"Hark! I think I hear footsteps outside."

Attention!

Used to command people to focus and listen carefully.

"Attention! The meeting will begin in one minute."

Shh!

Used to make someone quiet so they will listen or notice something.

"Shh! The baby is finally asleep."

Disagreement & Disapproval

16
No!

An exclamation used to strongly reject something or show disagreement.

"No! That is not the plan we agreed on."

Nope!

A casual, emphatic way to say no or express disagreement.

"Nope! I am not going along with that idea."

Nah!

An informal way to refuse or show mild disagreement.

"Nah! I do not think that will work."

Not!

A sarcastic interjection used to show that a statement is false or should not be taken seriously.

"Sure, I will help you, not!"

Pshaw!

An old-fashioned exclamation used to dismiss an idea as foolish or unimportant.

"Pshaw! That excuse does not make sense to me."

Tsk!

A sound used to show disapproval, disappointment, or mild annoyance.

"Tsk! You really should have told the truth."

Fie!

An old-fashioned exclamation showing disapproval of something shameful or improper.

"Fie! You should be ashamed of that behavior."

Humph!

An exclamation showing skepticism, annoyance, or grudging disagreement.

"Humph! I am not convinced by that argument."

Yuck!

An exclamation of disgust or rejection toward something unpleasant.

"Yuck! I would never drink that."

Eww!

An exclamation showing disgust or repulsion.

"Eww! That looks completely rotten."

Shame!

An exclamation used to express disapproval of bad behavior.

"Shame! You know you should not have lied."

Nonsense!

An exclamation used to reject a statement as absurd or false.

"Nonsense! That cannot possibly be true."

Rubbish!

A chiefly British exclamation used to dismiss something as untrue or worthless.

"Rubbish! Your story does not add up."

Bosh!

An old-fashioned exclamation used to dismiss an idea as nonsense.

"Bosh! He is making excuses again."

Pfui!

A rare exclamation showing disgust or contempt.

"Pfui! That kind of behavior is unacceptable."

Phooey!

An informal exclamation used to dismiss something with annoyance or disbelief.

"Phooey! I was sure that would work, but it did not."

Disgust & Dislike

12
Ew!

Expresses revulsion or disgust.

"Ew, there is something sticky on the table."

Gross!

Expresses that something is unpleasant or disgusting.

"Gross, that is the same spoon again."

Tch!

Expresses irritation, disapproval, or dislike.

"Tch, that was a careless mistake."

Shoo!

Expresses rejection or a wish to drive something or someone away.

"Shoo, get that fly away from here."

Ughh!

Expresses stronger disgust or exasperation.

"Ughh, this room needs to be cleaned."

Feh!

Expresses contempt, dismissal, or dislike.

"Feh, I never liked that show anyway."

Pah!

Expresses disgust, impatience, or rejection.

"Pah, that idea will not work."

Blech!

Expresses strong disgust, especially about taste or smell.

"Blech, this soup tastes terrible."

Hmmph!

Expresses annoyance, skepticism, or offended dislike.

"Hmmph, I am not impressed by that answer."

Eugh!

Expresses disgust or repugnance.

"Eugh, I stepped in something unpleasant."

Bah humbug!

Expresses grumpy dislike, especially toward something cheerful or sentimental.

"Bah humbug, I am not in the mood for decorations today."

Yeesh!

Expresses disgust, discomfort, or disbelief at something unpleasant.

"Yeesh, that is a bad mess to clean up."

Greetings & Farewells

19
Hello!

A friendly greeting used when meeting or answering someone.

"Hello! It is nice to see you again."

Hi!

A casual greeting used with friends or in informal situations.

"Hi! Are you free for lunch today?"

Howdy!

A casual, often regional greeting meaning hello.

"Howdy! Welcome to our little town."

Good morning!

A polite greeting used early in the day.

"Good morning! I hope you slept well."

Good afternoon!

A polite greeting used after noon.

"Good afternoon! Thank you for meeting with us."

Good evening!

A polite greeting used later in the day or at night.

"Good evening! Please come in and take a seat."

Goodbye!

A formal or neutral farewell used when parting.

"Goodbye! I will call you tomorrow."

Bye!

A casual farewell used when leaving or ending a conversation.

"Bye! See you after school."

Bye-bye!

A playful or affectionate farewell, often used with children or in casual speech.

"Bye-bye! Drive safely on your way home."

Farewell!

A more formal or emotional goodbye, often used for longer partings.

"Farewell! I wish you the best on your journey."

Later!

A casual farewell meaning see you later.

"Later! I need to get back to work now."

See ya!

A very casual farewell meaning see you later.

"See ya! Call me when you get home."

So long!

An informal farewell that can sound friendly or a little old-fashioned.

"So long! It was great spending time with you."

Take care!

A warm farewell that expresses concern for someone's well-being.

"Take care! Let me know if you need anything."

Cheers!

A friendly farewell used mainly in British English, often meaning goodbye.

"Cheers! Thanks for the help today."

Adios!

A farewell borrowed from Spanish and used informally in English.

"Adios! I am off to catch my train."

Ciao!

A casual farewell borrowed from Italian, often used for both hello and goodbye.

"Ciao! I will message you when I arrive."

Ta!

A very informal British farewell meaning thanks or goodbye.

"Ta! I will see you tomorrow morning."

Peace!

An informal farewell meaning goodbye or take care, often used in relaxed speech.

"Peace! Have a good night and stay safe."

Hesitation & Thinking

20
Um

A hesitation sound used when someone is thinking, unsure, or trying to find the right words.

"Um, I think the meeting starts at three."

Uh

A hesitation sound used to show uncertainty or a pause while thinking.

"Uh, could you repeat that last part?"

Er

A hesitation sound used to indicate doubt, delay, or searching for a response.

"Er, I am not sure which option is better."

Hmm

A thinking sound used when someone is considering something carefully or is uncertain.

"Hmm, that might actually be the best choice."

Well

A filler used to pause while thinking, softening a reply or introducing a considered response.

"Well, I suppose we could try again tomorrow."

Like

A filler used in casual speech while thinking, often before giving an example or explanation.

"I was, like, not expecting that answer."

You know

A conversational filler used to pause while thinking and check that the listener is following.

"It was, you know, a little hard to explain."

I mean

A phrase used to pause, rethink, or clarify what one is about to say.

"I mean, we could always ask for help."

Let me see

A phrase used to show that someone is taking a moment to think or remember.

"Let me see, I think her number is in my notes."

Let me think

A phrase used to request time to consider an answer or decision.

"Let me think, and I will tell you in a minute."

Hmm-hmm

A thinking and listening sound used to show reflection, mild agreement, or continued attention.

"Hmm-hmm, I see what you mean."

Uh-huh

A soft sound used while thinking or listening, often to show mild agreement or attention.

"Uh-huh, that makes sense now."

Huh

A short sound used to signal confusion, thought, or a moment of reconsideration.

"Huh, I did not realize it was that simple."

Aha

A sound used when a person suddenly understands or has a new idea.

"Aha, now I know why the door would not open."

Okay

A pause word used to gather thoughts before continuing or making a decision.

"Okay, I need a minute to decide."

Right

A discourse marker used while thinking, often to organize thoughts before speaking further.

"Right, so the next step is to call the manager."

So

A filler used to start thinking aloud or move into a response after a pause.

"So, what do you think we should do?"

Now

A thinking marker used to pause and shift attention before explaining or deciding something.

"Now, that is an interesting question."

Ah

A mild exclamation used when someone is thinking, recognizing something, or beginning to understand.

"Ah, that must be the reason she was late."

Mm

A soft sound used to show thought, uncertainty, or quiet consideration.

"Mm, I am not completely convinced yet."

Joy & Excitement

20
Wow!

Expresses strong admiration, amazement, or delight.

"Wow, that sunset is beautiful!"

Yay!

Expresses happy excitement, approval, or celebration.

"Yay, we finally finished the project!"

Hooray!

Expresses triumph, celebration, or joyful approval.

"Hooray, our team won the game!"

Woohoo!

Expresses lively excitement and triumph.

"Woohoo, we got the tickets!"

Yippee!

Expresses cheerful delight and excitement.

"Yippee, school is canceled tomorrow!"

Yahoo!

Expresses exuberant joy or thrill.

"Yahoo, we are going on vacation!"

Hurray!

Expresses glad celebration or praise.

"Hurray, the package arrived early!"

Oh my!

Expresses surprised delight or excited admiration.

"Oh my, this cake tastes amazing!"

Ah!

Expresses sudden happy realization or pleased surprise.

"Ah, now I see what you meant!"

Ooh!

Expresses delighted admiration or pleasant surprise.

"Ooh, that dress looks fantastic!"

Aha!

Expresses pleased discovery or triumphant understanding.

"Aha, I found the missing key!"

Bravo!

Expresses approval and admiration for a good performance.

"Bravo, that was an excellent speech!"

Great!

Expresses enthusiastic approval or satisfaction.

"Great, that plan should work perfectly!"

Excellent!

Expresses strong approval and pleasure.

"Excellent, you solved the problem quickly!"

Fantastic!

Expresses very strong delight or approval.

"Fantastic, we got an extra day off!"

Awesome!

Expresses enthusiastic admiration or excitement.

"Awesome, the concert was incredible!"

Sweet!

Expresses pleased excitement or approval.

"Sweet, I got the last slice of pizza!"

Nice!

Expresses friendly approval or pleased excitement.

"Nice, that was a clever move!"

Well done!

Expresses praise and joyful approval of success.

"Well done, you handled that so well!"

Oh boy!

Expresses eager excitement or delighted anticipation.

"Oh boy, I cant wait for the party!"

Pain & Discomfort

14
Ouch!

Used to express sudden pain or physical discomfort.

"Ouch! I hit my elbow on the door frame."

Ow!

Used to express immediate pain from an injury or impact.

"Ow! That chair just pinched my leg."

Yow!

Used to express sharp pain or strong sudden discomfort.

"Yow! That was a bad cramp in my calf."

Agh!

Used to express pain, frustration, or distress.

"Agh! I twisted my ankle stepping off the curb."

Ugh!

Used to express disgust, annoyance, or physical discomfort.

"Ugh! This headache is getting worse."

Eek!

Used to express alarm or nervous discomfort.

"Eek! That needle looks bigger than I thought."

Yeow!

Used to express intense sudden pain or shock.

"Yeow! I just slammed my finger in the drawer."

Oof!

Used to express being hit, strained, or mildly hurt.

"Oof! I felt that in my lower back when I lifted the box."

Hmph!

Used to express annoyance, irritation, or stubborn discomfort.

"Hmph! This tight shoe is ruining my whole evening."

Phew!

Used to express relief after discomfort or strain.

"Phew! That icy wind finally stopped."

Tut!

Used to express disapproval, irritation, or mild annoyance.

"Tut! This paper cut is tiny, but it keeps stinging."

Bah!

Used to express irritation, frustration, or dismissal of discomfort.

"Bah! My neck is sore again after that long drive."

Hey!

Used to express sudden protest, alarm, or a sharp reaction to discomfort.

"Hey! That seat is digging into my back."

Ha!

Used to express triumph, disbelief, or a sharp reaction that can accompany pain.

"Ha! I finally found the sore spot in my shoulder."

Relief & Understanding

9
Oh, I see!

Used to show that something has just been understood.

"Oh, I see! That makes sense now."

Got it!

Used to show that a message or instruction has been understood.

"Got it! I will send the email right away."

I see!

Used to express understanding of a fact or explanation.

"I see! That is why she was upset."

There you go!

Used to indicate that something has become clear or has been successfully done.

"There you go! That is how it works."

All right!

Used to indicate understanding or calm acceptance of a situation.

"All right! Everything is clear now."

Finally!

Used to express relief that something expected or difficult has at last happened.

"Finally! The storm has passed."

Hmm!

Used to show thoughtfulness as someone begins to understand or assess something.

"Hmm! I think I understand your point."

Aah!

Used to express relief after stress or uncertainty has passed.

"Aah! That is much better."

Whew!

Used to express relief after effort, tension, or worry.

"Whew! That was a close call."

Surprise & Shock

18
Oh!

Expresses sudden realization, surprise, or shock.

"Oh! I forgot my keys in the car."

Gosh!

Expresses mild surprise or shock in a polite way.

"Gosh! That was a close call."

Goodness!

Expresses surprise, concern, or shock.

"Goodness! You scared me from behind the door."

Lord!

Expresses strong surprise, shock, or dismay.

"Lord! I had no idea the meeting started so early."

Heavens!

Expresses surprise, alarm, or disbelief.

"Heavens! I cannot believe how much snow fell overnight."

Holy cow!

Expresses strong surprise or amazement.

"Holy cow! That was the fastest goal I have ever seen."

Holy moly!

Expresses intense surprise or shock.

"Holy moly! You finished the whole project already."

What!

Expresses sudden shock or disbelief.

"What! You are moving to another country next week?"

Really!

Expresses surprise at unexpected information.

"Really! I thought the store was closed today."

Seriously!

Expresses shock, disbelief, or astonishment.

"Seriously! You won tickets to the concert?"

Gee!

Expresses surprise, admiration, or wonder.

"Gee! That building looks taller up close."

My goodness!

Expresses strong surprise, concern, or disbelief.

"My goodness! That was a loud crash."

Jeez!

Expresses surprise, frustration, or annoyance.

"Jeez! I did not mean to spill that on your desk."

Yikes!

Expresses shock, alarm, or nervous surprise.

"Yikes! That spider is huge."

Whoa!

Expresses sudden surprise, awe, or alarm.

"Whoa! That wave was much bigger than I expected."

Huh!

Expresses surprise, confusion, or disbelief.

"Huh! I thought you said the train left at noon."

No way!

Expresses strong disbelief or astonished surprise.

"No way! You met her at the airport?"

Unbelievable!

Expresses strong surprise at something hard to believe.

"Unbelievable! He solved the puzzle in less than a minute."

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