oy vey
Dismayed exclamation, Yiddish
Oy vey is a Yiddish exclamation expressing dismay, exasperation, or weary resignation: Oy vey, not this again.
It conveys a kind of world-weary frustration—the sigh of someone who has seen trouble before and recognizes it returning.
Common in Jewish American speech and widely understood beyond it.
Sometimes shortened to just oy.
Great sorrow or distress
- sufferingSustained experience of distress
- misfortuneAdverse circumstance or event
- hardshipSuffering from difficult circumstances
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
trouble · grief · sorrow · calamity · tribulation · affliction · ordeal · tragedy
Audible emotional breath
- headacheCranial pain
- overwhelmedDefeated by sheer volume
- aggravationState of being vexed
- annoyanceState of being bothered
irritation · weariness · dismay · distress · bother · discomfort · discontent · displeasure
Rejection of truth claims
- astonishmentIntense sudden wonder
- incredulityInability to accept something
- amazementOverwhelming surprise and wonder
- bewildermentState of being baffled
stunned · flabbergasted · dumbfounded · gobsmacked · speechless · aghast · thunderstruck · stupefied
Consent to receive
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
- exhaustionState of utter depletion
- fatigueWeariness from prolonged exertion
- burnoutChronic occupational depletion
weary · drained · defeated · helpless · hopeless · such is life · enough already · worn down
woe
Great sorrow or distress
- sufferingSustained experience of distress
- misfortuneAdverse circumstance or event
- hardshipSuffering from difficult circumstances
adversity · trouble · grief · sorrow · calamity · tribulation · affliction · ordeal · tragedy · plight
sigh
Audible emotional breath
- headacheCranial pain
- overwhelmedDefeated by sheer volume
- aggravationState of being vexed
annoyance · irritation · weariness · dismay · distress · bother · discomfort · discontent · displeasure · impatience
disbelief
Rejection of truth claims
- astonishmentIntense sudden wonder
- incredulityInability to accept something
- amazementOverwhelming surprise and wonder
bewilderment · stunned · flabbergasted · dumbfounded · gobsmacked · speechless · aghast · thunderstruck · stupefied · confounded
acceptance
Consent to receive
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
- exhaustionState of utter depletion
- fatigueWeariness from prolonged exertion
burnout · weary · drained · defeated · helpless · hopeless · such is life · enough already · worn down · giving up
- interjectionsah, hey, aha, sheesh, oh
- Yiddishchutzpah, kvetch, mensch, schlep, tchotchke
- AshkenaziYiddish, shtetl, klezmer, gefilte fish, challah
- Jewish comedyBorscht Belt, Jerry Seinfeld, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Larry David
- JewishTorah, Shabbat, kosher, rabbi, synagogue
- Alarm Expressionshelp, mayday, SOS, oh no, watch out
oy veymazel tov
Hebrew celebratory exclamation
hallelujah · hooray · yay · hurrah · woohoo
oy veymazel tov
Hebrew celebratory exclamation
what a relief · finally · at last · thank heavens · good riddance