phew

English

Etymology

An onomatopoeia: the sound of rapid exhalation one makes when some trying situation is over. Attested since the early seventeenth century. Compare Scots feuch or Spanish fu or Czech fuj.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /fjuː/, [ɸju˥˩], [ɧu˥˩]
Rhymes: -uː
Audio (UK) (file)

Interjection

phew

Used to show relief, fatigue, or surprise.
Phew, that took a long time to define!
Used to show disgust.
Phew, it stinks in here!

Synonyms

(expression of disgust): See Thesaurus:yuck

Translations

Used to show relief, fatigue, or surprise

Arabic: please add this translation if you can
Chinese:
Mandarin: 喲 (zh), 哟 (zh) (yo)
Czech: uf
Dutch: oef (nl)
Finnish: huh (fi), huhhuh
French: pfou, ouf (fr) (relief)
German: puh (de), pfui (de)
Greek: ουφ (el) (ouf), φου (fou)
Ancient: φεῦ (pheû)
Hebrew: please add this translation if you can

Hungarian: püh
Italian: uff, uffa (it) (heat, tiredness), uh (relief, surprise)
Japanese: ふぅ (fū)
Korean: 으쌰으쌰 (eushya eushya)
Latin: ufa
Navajo: hwááh
Polish: uff (pl)
Portuguese: ufa (pt)
Russian: уф! (uf!), фуф (fuf), фух (ru) (fux)
Spanish: ¡fíu!, ¡menos mal!
Swedish: puh (sv), fy (sv)

Used to show disgust

French: pouah (fr)
German: pfui (de)

Hungarian: pfuj
Spanish: puaj (es)