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phew love

phew

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • interjection Used to express relief, fatigue, surprise, or disgust.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • An exclamation of disgust, weariness, or surprise.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • interjection Used to show relief, fatigue, surprise, or disgust.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

An onomatopoeia: the sound of rapid exhalation one makes when some trying situation is over.

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Examples

  • Goodreads manages to keep me updated with your shelf, and phew, that is one hell of a shelf! on June 19, 2009 at 2: 16 pm | Reply Lauren

    Waxing poetic. « 2009

  • You want to join in on the worlds collective "phew" and "YAY", I know...but let's look at today's M.i.

    Great Guelph Photos and Cool Blog Links by Creative Guelphites 2009

  • You want to join in on the worlds collective "phew" and "YAY", I know...but let's look at today's M.i.

    Great Guelph Photos and Cool Blog Links by Creative Guelphites 2009

  • I was like, "phew" then it was our stop and we got off and laughed our heads off.

    withkerth Diary Entry withkerth 2000

  • The trees were nearly bare now and outside starlings made electric chirps and a noise that Cal could only think of as a whistled 'phew'.

    Cal Laverty, Bernard Mac 1983

  • A sharp 'phew' followed by some tongue clicking, and the offer came.

    Bonecrack Francis, Dick 1971

  • A sharp 'phew' followed by some tongue clicking, and the offer came.

    Bonecrack Francis, Dick 1971

  • The author of it pulled open the door and the whistle tailed off into a faint "phew" at sight of the embarrassed group.

    Christopher Hibbault, Roadmaker Marguerite Bryant

  • She would stay in the room a few seconds, look at the bottles of medicine, and purse her lips as if she were saying "phew," and then would suddenly exclaim: "Oh, I forgot something very important," and would run out of the room leaving behind her a fragrance of choice toilet perfumes.

    Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant Guy de Maupassant 1871

  • She would stay in the room a few seconds, look at the bottles of medicine, and purse her lips as if she were saying "phew," and then would suddenly exclaim: "Oh, I forgot something very important," and would run out of the room leaving behind her a fragrance of choice toilet perfumes.

    Original Short Stories — Volume 13 Guy de Maupassant 1871

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