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oops

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Etymology and origin of the English word oops

Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Onomatopoeia
First attested
1921

Pronunciation

  • UK: /uːps/, /ʊps/[1]
  • US: /ups/, /ʊps/[1]

Etymology

Most dictionaries treat it as a natural exclamation.[2][3][4] The OED suggests that it may be shortened from upsadaisy, or that it is a natural exclamation that became confused with that word;[5] Etymonline and the OED compare whoops.[4][5] Merriam-Webster calls it of unknown origin and Dictionary.com of uncertain origin.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

An exclamation of apology, dismay or surprise, especially after an obvious but minor mistake: 1921, in the Washington Post.[5] Etymonline and Merriam-Webster date it to 1933,[4][6] Dictionary.com to 1925–30,[7] and the Oxford Dictionary of English to the 1930s.[3]

Semantic evolution

Merriam-Webster describes its typical use when someone drops something or makes a faux pas.[6] From 1949 it has also been used colloquially as a noun, for an utterance of oops or for the error or mishap itself.[5]

Timeline

  • 1921 – interjection, expressing apology or dismay at a mistake.[5]
  • 1933 – first date in Etymonline and Merriam-Webster.[4][6]
  • 1949 – noun, an error or mishap.[5]

Modern meaning

Interjection

  1. Used to express mild apology, surprise or dismay at a small mistake or accident: Oops, I've knocked over the vase.

Noun

  1. (colloquial) An error or mishap.
  • whoops
  • upsadaisy

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010), Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
Cite this entry

“Oops.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/oops. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·