whoa
interjection
- used to express surprise, interest, or alarm, or to command attention
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /wəʊ/ / /ʍəʊ/ / /woʊ/
intj
Etymology: Whoa (c. 1843) is a variant of woa (c. 1840), itself a variant of wo (c. 1787), from who (c. 1450), ultimately from Middle English ho, hoo (interjection), probably from Old Norse hó! (interjection, also, a shepherd's call). Compare German ho, Old French ho ! (“hold!, halt!”).
- Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down.
“Whoa, Nelly!”
“I can see Mickie getting hot, I'm about to grab his arm, hold him back, say, Whoa, whoa, Mick, not here, it ain't worth it what happened inside just now.”
- An expression of surprise.
“Whoa, are you serious?”
“Whoa. Wait a minute, Doc. Are you trying to tell me that my mother has got the hots for me?”
- Used as a meaningless filler in song lyrics.
“I am the type who is liable to snipe you With two seconds left to go, whoa.”
“And oh whoa girl, it's a shame. Oh whoa girl, it's a doggone shame.”
verb
Etymology: Whoa (c. 1843) is a variant of woa (c. 1840), itself a variant of wo (c. 1787), from who (c. 1450), ultimately from Middle English ho, hoo (interjection), probably from Old Norse hó! (interjection, also, a shepherd's call). Compare German ho, Old French ho ! (“hold!, halt!”).
- To attempt to slow (an animal) by crying "whoa".
“He was whoaing the horses loudly, and they did seem to be going faster than usual—in fact, they were galloping.”