oy

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Pronunciations

oy (OY) listen

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Definitions

  • interj. Exclamation of dismay, exasperation, or surprise.

Example Sentences

  • "Oy, how am I going to get this all done before Friday?"

  • “Oy, I'm almost out of detergent!” (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • אױ oy

      • Who Uses This

      • Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
      • Non-Jews: (words that have spread outside of Jewish networks)

      Regions

      • North America
      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

Notes

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