oops

interjection

ˈ(w)u̇(ə)ps How to pronounce oops (audio)
variants or whoops
ˈ(w)u̇(ə)ps How to pronounce oops (audio)
or less commonly woops
ˈ(w)u̇(ə)ps How to pronounce oops (audio)
Synonyms of oopsnext
—used to express surprise or distress or to say in a mild way that you are sorry about having done or said something wrong
Someone stumbled and said, "Oops!"—Joseph Wambaugh
… Conner grinned and said, "Oops, I shouldn't have said that" …—Christopher Clarey
She wants to get married on the beach and, whoops, forgot that beaches are covered with seaweed.—Sarah Miller

Examples of oops in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But when her paramour and his (oops) wife turn up dead, Vera ends up at the center of a murder investigation and eventually something far more sinister. — The Editors, Town & Country, 1 Dec. 2022 That gives Facebook and Oculus a great opportunity to announce in the very near future that—oops, whaddya know—they've stopped producing all existing hardware. — Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 20 Aug. 2020 Only three even had the Cavs in the Finals, the same as had -- oops -- Toronto. — Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, 8 May 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of oops was in 1870

Rhymes for oops

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Browse Nearby Words

ooporphyrin
oops
oopsie
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Oops.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oops. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

oops

interjection
variants or whoops
ˈ(w)u̇(ə)ps
—used to express mild apology, surprise, or distress (as at spilling something or saying the wrong thing)

More from Merriam-Webster on oops

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for oops

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