Do you know the definition of oof? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word oof, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!
-
Kevin
-
September 2, 2021
-
Common Questions
Your writing, at its best
Compose bold, clear, mistake-free, writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant
What does the term oof mean?
According to Linguaholic and Merriam-Webster, the word oof is an expression of discomfort, dismay or surprise. This is an onomatopoeia that is meant to sound like the way we express pain when we experience a loss of air from the stomach, such as being hit in the solar plexus. This term is frequently used on social media in the term “big oof” like other common slang terms such as yeet or TW (trigger warning).
According to The Free Dictionary, the term OOF can also be used as an acronym or abbreviation. This term has many different definitions, though these are less common than onomatopoeia. If you do decide to use one of these alternate meanings of OOF, make sure that you provide the reader with the proper context so that they are not confused.
- Out of Fiber
- Out of Frame
- Object Oriented Filtering
- Out of Funding
- Obama Organizing Fellows
- Oracles of Fire (book by Bryan Davis)
- Outcomes and Outputs Framework (Australia)
- Out of Focus
- Out-of-Office Feature
- Odin Organic Framework (computing)
- Out of Force (insurance)
- Object-Oriented Framework
- Options On Futures
- Out of Facility (business slang)
- Object of Functionality
- Object Oriented Formula
- Other Official Flows
- Open Office Formula
- Order of Forfeiture (legal)
- Out of Freeze
- Object-Oriented Fortran
- Out of Office
- Ölands Ornitologiska Förening (Swedish: Öland Ornithological Society; Öland, Sweden)
- Oceans of Fun (Kansas City water park)
Many different languages also contain words that mean oof or show an expression of pain. You may notice that some of these words look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases that look and sound similar between languages, and also have a similar meaning. Cognates are often formed when two words have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations for the word oof is provided by Word Sense.
- Italian: ahi, ahia
- Swedish: aj
- Finnish: ai, au, auts, auh!, aijai
- Hungarian: jaj
- Hijazi Arabic: أي (ay), أح (aḥ), آخ (āḵ)
- German: au, aua, autsch
- Korean: 아야
- Ghotuo: ouxh a
- Norwegian: au
- Bulgarian: ох
- Spanish: ay, uy
- Indonesian: aduh
- Telugu: అభా
- Czech: au
- Navajo: ayáo, ayáh
- Afrikaans: eina
- Vietnamese: úi da, ai da, ui da
- Dutch: au
- Persian: آخ (âx), آی (ây)
- Breton: aiou
- Ido: aye
- Uokha: ouxh
- Tamil ஐயோ
- Maori: taukahore
- Rumi: aduh
- French: aïe, ouille
- Pashto: وخ (wax), وئ (wëy)
- Armenian: ախ, վախ
- Danish: av
- Lojban: .oi
- Romanian: ai, au, ah, vai, aoleu
- Mandarin: 哎喲, 哎哟 (āiyō), 哎呀 (āiyā)
- Portuguese: ai, au
- Greek: αχ, ωχ
- Jawi: ادوه
- Russian: ой, ай, ох, а́уч (neologism)
- Cherokee: ᎠᏲ (Ayo)
- Deg Xinag: Aiiau de
- Esperanto: aj, uj
- Polish: aua, au, auć
- Catalan: au
- Serbo-Croatian: au, auć, joj, jao
- Kimaragang: odoi
- Arabic: حِلْيَة
- Tagalog: aray, aruy, aguy, ay
- Japanese: 痛い (itai), いて (ite), いてて (itete)
What is the origin of the term oof?
According to Know Your Meme, the term oof derives from the sound of a small child being kicked in the stomach played upon the death of a ROBLOX avatar. This sound started back in 2006 upon the release of the game ROBLOX. Users of the game have since taken to saying the sound in person when they defeat another player. User iiKnight_Mare began to popularize the sound while playing The Streets, which is a popular player versus player (PVP) game on ROBLOX in February 2016. He began making the oof sound when mocking players to troll them when they were defeated. From there, it spread like wildfire throughout the ROBLOX community.
From here, the Robloxian sound has been seen in numerous memes on the internet. This sound effect is even used in songs and online videos. This internet meme is very common but not many know the origin of this exclamatory word. The word oof itself may have come from the Scandinavian uff-da. It has been used since 19th century English. It is interesting to see how language changes with the advent of memes and social media.
How can oof be used in a sentence?
The word oof can be used in many different ways in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a great way to memorize their definition. You can also try making flashcards or quizzes for yourself to test your knowledge of different words. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today. You never know, it may become one of your new favorite! Below are several examples of the word oof to get you started with using this word.
Johnnie: I’m looking forward to our trip to the cinema tonight! Do you want to go gambling after?
Brandy: Bad news – no one is showing up for the next shift so now I have to stay. I’m so sorry.
Johnnie: Oof, yikes. Don’t be sorry! We can find another day this week.
EXAMPLE 2:
John Kelly: Oof, our diversity and equity numbers are just awful. I hope with the latest additions to our team, we can make some change.
Pater: Yes, I agree. I think our company’s focus on inclusion is going to take a while, but at least we are trying to mitigate the symptoms of inequality in a challenging society. I’m a long hauler, I will see this company through.
What are synonyms of oof?
There are many words in the English language that can be used in place of the word oof. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that mean the same thing as another given word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your English language vocabulary, and they can help you avoid repeating yourself in written and spoken English. This list of synonyms for the word oof is provided by Power Thesaurus.
- oh
- impairment
- enclose
- hey
- phew
- darn
- ow
- hoops-a-daisy
- hurrah
- ah
- ow
- ahem
- nick
- er
- ill-treatment
- ugh
- grievance
- gee
- scratch
- golly
- cripes
- entwine
- ache
- ill
- wow
- boo-boo
- whoopee
- whoops
- gash
- blow
- down
- open up
- cut
- oops
- exclamation
- enter
- harm
- contuse
- eichen
- phooey
- hello
- damage
- bruise
- alas
- burn
- displeasure
- cry
- oopsie daisy
- boo
- ass in a sling
- uh-oh
Overall, the word oof means an expression of dismay. This is meant to sound like someone getting hit in the stomach.
Sources:
