Phew

Phew

Exclamation · /fjuː/ · expressing relief, exhaustion, or amazement

Definition

An exclamation used to express relief after a stressful or dangerous situation has passed, or to show exhaustion after physical effort, or to react to something surprisingly intense — heat, a close call, hard work. Phew, that was close! Phew, it is hot today!

Origin

An onomatopoeic word — it imitates the actual sound of blowing air out through pursed lips when relieved or exhausted. First recorded in English in the early 17th century. Similar sounds exist in many languages because the physical action of exhaling in relief is universal. The spelling "phew" became standard, though "pew" and "whew" are variants.