Hey there. It’s the GrammarGramps.
So, you’ve learned about interjections and what they do, but you don’t have a list of them that you can use when talking or writing. That’s okay. We’ve prepared a list of English interjections for you, including their meanings and examples.
You can just read this list a few times and you’ll be able to memorize a whole bunch of interjections to use in your daily life. But hey! Some of them aren’t very nice. So, keep those only for educational purposes. Let’s not use “damn!” in our daily convos.
Let’s get started.
Interjections List w/ Meanings & Usage Instances (Alphabetically Arranged)
| Interjection | Meaning | Example |
| Ah | Expresses realization, relief, pleasure, or surprise | Ah! Now I understand. |
| Aha | Expresses sudden understanding or discovery | Aha! I found the mistake. |
| Alas | Expresses sadness, regret, or disappointment | Alas! We arrived too late. |
| Argh | Expresses anger, frustration, or annoyance | Argh! I forgot my keys again. |
| Aw | Expresses sympathy, affection, disappointment, or mild protest | Aw! That’s so sweet. |
| Aww | Expresses affection, sympathy, or endearment | Aww! Look at that puppy. |
| Bah | Expresses contempt, dismissal, or annoyance | Bah! That’s nothing to worry about. |
| Bingo | Expresses success or recognition of the correct answer | Bingo! That’s exactly what we needed. |
| Boo | Expresses disapproval or is used to frighten someone playfully | Boo! You scared me. |
| Bravo | Expresses praise or approval | Bravo! That was an amazing performance. |
| Brr | Expresses a feeling of cold | Brr! It’s freezing outside. |
| Congratulations | Expresses praise for someone’s achievement | Congratulations! You got the job. |
| Cor | Expresses surprise or admiration, especially in British English | Cor! That’s a huge house. |
| Crikey | Expresses surprise or astonishment | Crikey! That’s a big dog. |
| Damn | Expresses anger, frustration, surprise, or disappointment | Damn! I missed the bus. |
| Darn | Expresses mild annoyance or disappointment | Darn! I forgot my wallet. |
| D’oh | Expresses frustration at one’s own mistake | D’oh! I deleted the file. |
| Drat | Expresses mild annoyance or disappointment | Drat! I broke the pencil. |
| Duh | Expresses that something is obvious | Duh! Of course I checked the answer. |
| Eek | Expresses sudden fear or alarm | Eek! There’s a spider on the wall. |
| Eh | Expresses confusion, surprise, doubt, or asks for confirmation | Eh? What did you say? |
| Er | Expresses hesitation or uncertainty | Er, I’m not sure. |
| Eureka | Expresses sudden discovery or realization | Eureka! I’ve solved the problem. |
| Ew | Expresses disgust | Ew! What’s that smell? |
| Feh | Expresses disdain or indifference | Feh! Who cares? |
| Fie | Expresses disapproval or disgust | Fie! Such behavior is unacceptable. |
| Gah | Expresses frustration or exasperation | Gah! This computer is driving me crazy. |
| Gee | Expresses surprise, enthusiasm, or admiration | Gee! That’s beautiful. |
| Geez | Expresses annoyance, surprise, or disbelief | Geez! You scared me. |
| Golly | Expresses surprise or amazement | Golly! That’s expensive. |
| Gosh | Expresses surprise, excitement, or disbelief | Gosh! I didn’t expect that. |
| Ha | Expresses amusement, triumph, surprise, or contempt | Ha! I knew I was right. |
| Hah | Expresses amusement, disbelief, or triumph | Hah! You thought I wouldn’t notice. |
| Hello | Used as a greeting or to attract attention | Hello! How are you? |
| Hey | Used to greet someone, attract attention, or express surprise | Hey! Wait for me. |
| Hooray | Expresses joy, celebration, or excitement | Hooray! We won! |
| Hurrah | Expresses joy, approval, or celebration | Hurrah! The team has won. |
| Huh | Expresses confusion, surprise, or disbelief | Huh? What did you say? |
| Humph | Expresses annoyance, doubt, or dissatisfaction | Humph! I expected better. |
| Hush | Tells someone to be quiet | Hush! The baby is sleeping. |
| Jeepers | Expresses surprise or astonishment | Jeepers! That was close. |
| Lo | An old-fashioned expression used to draw attention to something | Lo! The ship has arrived. |
| Meh | Expresses indifference or lack of enthusiasm | Meh. I’ve seen better movies. |
| Mmm | Expresses pleasure, satisfaction, or thoughtful consideration | Mmm! This cake is delicious. |
| Oh | Expresses surprise, realization, disappointment, pain, or other emotions | Oh! I didn’t know that. |
| Ooh | Expresses excitement, admiration, surprise, or pleasure | Ooh! That’s beautiful. |
| Oops | Expresses embarrassment after making a mistake | Oops! I spilled the coffee. |
| Ouch | Expresses sudden physical pain | Ouch! That hurt. |
| Ow | Expresses sudden physical pain | Ow! I hit my elbow. |
| Pfft | Expresses dismissal, disbelief, or contempt | Pfft! That’s ridiculous. |
| Phew | Expresses relief, exhaustion, or amazement | Phew! I’m glad that’s over. |
| Pish | Expresses contempt or dismissal | Pish! That’s nonsense. |
| Pshaw | Expresses disbelief, impatience, or contempt | Pshaw! Don’t be ridiculous. |
| Shh | Tells someone to be quiet | Shh! Someone is sleeping. |
| Sheesh | Expresses annoyance, disbelief, or exasperation | Sheesh! You don’t have to shout. |
| Ta-da | Announces a finished result or dramatic reveal | Ta-da! Here’s your cake. |
| Tut | Expresses annoyance, disapproval, or impatience | Tut! You should know better. |
| Uh | Expresses hesitation or uncertainty | Uh, I don’t know. |
| Uh-huh | Expresses agreement or acknowledgment | Uh-huh. I understand. |
| Uh-oh | Expresses concern when something has gone wrong | Uh-oh! The glass is falling. |
| Um | Expresses hesitation while thinking or speaking | Um, could you repeat that? |
| Urgh | Expresses disgust, frustration, or annoyance | Urgh! This traffic is awful. |
| Voilà | Draws attention to something presented or revealed | Voilà! Here’s the finished design. |
| Whew | Expresses relief, exhaustion, or amazement | Whew! That was difficult. |
| Whoa | Expresses surprise, alarm, admiration, or tells someone to slow down | Whoa! That’s fast. |
| Whoops | Expresses embarrassment after a minor mistake | Whoops! I sent it to the wrong person. |
| Wow | Expresses strong surprise, admiration, or excitement | Wow! That’s incredible. |
| Woo | Expresses excitement or enthusiasm | Woo! We did it! |
| Woo-hoo | Expresses excitement or celebration | Woo-hoo! We’re going on vacation! |
| Yay | Expresses happiness, excitement, or celebration | Yay! We finished early. |
| Yeah | Expresses agreement, confirmation, or enthusiasm | Yeah! That’s exactly what I wanted. |
| Yikes | Expresses fear, alarm, concern, or surprise | Yikes! That was close. |
| Yippee | Expresses great happiness or excitement | Yippee! School is over. |
| Yow | Expresses pain, surprise, or alarm | Yow! That’s hot. |
| Yuck | Expresses disgust | Yuck! This tastes awful. |
Which of these Interjections are Primary and Which of them are Secondary?
From the list shared above, words like “ah,” “ouch,” “wow,” and “yikes” are examples of primary interjections. This means that they primarily function as interjections and don’t have any meaning other than that.
On the other hand, words like “congratulations,” “hello,” “hush,” etc., are examples of secondary interjections. This means that they have independent meanings of their own, but they serve as interjections when used alone to express a sudden reaction or emotion.
For instance, “beautiful” is also a secondary interjection, even though we didn’t mention it in the list above. It’s a fairly popular one.
Image of English Interjections List
I also made an image of the list of interjections mentioned above. I included the main ones with their meanings. You can save this to your device and use it as a quick reference instead of coming here to the website every time.
Adios!
And that’s it from the GrammarGramps.
If you liked this list of interjections, take a look at our list of adjectives as well. It’s pretty awesome.
You can also head over to our glossary of English grammar if you want to continue learning more about grammar concepts in an easy, listed format.
