Do you know the definition of oy vey? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the term oy vey, including its definition, usage, etymology, example sentences, and more!

What does the phrase oy vey mean?

According to Definitions, The Free Dictionary, and Chabad, the phrase oy vey means “oh woe.” This is a very old Jewish interjection. This is a very ethnically Jewish way to react to bad news, whether big or small. Sometimes you might also hear variances on oy vey such as “oi vey,” “oy veh,” “oy vay,” or “oy vavoy,” the Hebrew form of oy vey. You might also hear the Yiddish term “oy vey iz mir,” or “oy vey ist mir,” which means “oh woe is me.” This exclamation of dismay has become popular with both Jewish people and non-Jews alike. Try using this word of the day or other new words in a sentence today!

How can the phrase oy vey be used in a sentence?

Oy vey can be used in many different scenarios to react in a disappointed or dismayed fashion to something. In this example, Miranda was trying to plan a surprise party for her mother. They are all waiting to jump out and surprise her when she gets a call from her grandmother, who is in the car with her mother.

Miranda: Bubbe, hi. How’s the drive?

Grandmother: It’s good, Miranda. We’re almost to the house so all of you had better hide so your mom is surprised!

Mom: Surprised by what?

Miranda: Oy vey.

Here, Miranda uses the term oy vey because her grandmother ruined the surprise just as they were on their way to the party. In this next example, Miranda finds that her car has been towed. She calls the towing company.

Miranda: Hi, my car has been towed. Where can I go to pick this up?

Towing Company: We’re located in Long Beach, but we’re closed for the day and all weekend. You can come back on Monday to get your car, and it’ll be $400.

Miranda: You’re telling me I have to go all weekend without a car and pay $400? Oy vey.

What are synonyms for the term oy vey?

There are many different words that a person can use in place of the term oy vey. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning as another word or phrase. Synonyms are very useful to know for a term like oy vey because not everyone is familiar with this Yiddish phrase. Synonyms are also useful to know in order to expand your vocabulary as well as to avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms for the term oy vey is provided by Word Hippo Thesaurus.

hell
strike me pink
shoot
FFS
blinking hell
blooming heck
doggone
oh my
for goodness’ sake
oy gevalt
blast
pish
gosh-darn
shucks
dash it
for Goddess’s sake
dagnabbit
for Christ’s sake
for God’s sake
for crying out loud
oi
good God
Gordon Bennett
confound it
cripes
damn it
for mercy’s sake
tarnation
goodness me
my God
for heaven’s sake
flipping hell
great Scott
flip
frick
doggone it
butter my butt and call me a biscuit
Jesus Christ
heck
God
dang
flipping heck
dammit
damnation
dash
oofta
blinking heck
darnation
for Pete’s sake
for Heaven’s sake
for pity’s sake
for crying in the beer
Christ almighty
drat
blooming hell
botheration
sugar
thunderation
bloody hell
poo
good grief
good gracious
blimey
bother
my goodness
rat

What is the origin of the term oy vey?

According to Dictionary and Word Sense, the term oy vey is a Yiddish word. In Hebrew, this word is written as אױ װײ and literally means “oh, woe.” This word is uttered as a defeated sigh, and there is evidence for its borrowing into English dating back to the early 1900s. While fewer than 200,000 Americans actually speak Yiddish, it is a very common phrase among both American Jewish and non-Jewish speakers. This term became very popular among Jewish comedians like Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. The term oy is also found many different times in the bible, from Numbers 21:29, to Samuel 4:7 and Isaiah 3:11. Yiddish has strong relations to German, so it is not surprising that we see similar phrases in German and Dutch, such as oh weh‎, ach weh, au weh and oh wee.

What are other Yiddish phrases?

There are many other Yiddish phrases that one might hear in everyday life. If you were not raised hearing Yiddish, these might be confusing. However, looking at this list from Best Life Online will get you up to speed quickly!

Bubbe – Grandmother
Bupkis – Nothing
Chutzpah – Nerve
Goy – Non-Jewish person (plural: goyim)
Keppie – Forehead
Klutz – Clumsy person
Kvell – To burst with pride
Kvetch – To complain
Mazel Tov – Congratulations
Mensch – Honorable and admirable person
Meshuggeneh – Insane
Mishegas – Insanity, graziness
Mishpocheh (alt. mishpokhe, mishpucha) – Family
Nosh – To eat
Plotz – To collapse from exhaustion or laughter
Punim – Face
Schmutz – Dirt
Schlep – To carry or lug
Schmatte – Rag
Shmendrik – Jerk, idiot
Schmooze – To chat in a friendly or persuasive way
Schvitz – To sweat
Schtick – Gimmick
Spiel – Long speech or story
Tachlis – Essence, practicalities
Tchotchke – Knickknack, trinket
Tuches – Rear, behind
Verklempt – Overwhelmed
Zayde – Grandfather

Overall, the phrase oy vey is a Yiddish phrase that means “oh woe.” This is used as an expression of dismay amongst many Jewish communities, as well as by people who are not Jewish. However, this is culturally a very Jewish phrase.

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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.