Aw

Part of speech: interjection

Definitions

1. An exclamation of mild disappointment, sympathy, or affectionate feeling, often spoken when something is sad or endearing
2. A spoken interjection used to show gentle disappointment or tender sympathy toward someone's misfortune or something cute
3. A brief vocal sound people make to express sorrow, mild regret, or fondness when hearing unfortunate or charming news

Etymology: "Aw" is a natural exclamation, a sound people make almost instinctively to express sympathy, disappointment, mild protest, or affection, so it has no ancestor in another language to trace. Its shape comes from the vowel sound itself: a wide, open "ah" that drifts into a rounded "oo" as the mouth closes, a pattern found in many cries of dismay and endearment across English speech. Because it is an interjection rather than a borrowed or built word, its meaning depends almost entirely on delivery. The same two letters can signal "that's a shame," "how sweet," or "please don't" depending on pitch and length, which is why dictionaries describe it through usage examples rather than a single definition.

Synonyms: oh, ah