Yeow is an exclamation of sudden pain or surprise, like a yelp in word form: Yeow, that's hot!
It can also express excited enthusiasm: Yeow, what a play!
The spelling captures a drawn-out, emphatic sound—more dramatic than a simple "ow."
1. exclamation — yelp, Brief, shrill cry; yowl (Prolonged distressed cry); ow (Pain exclamation); ouch (Pain interjection); yikes · whoa · eek · gah · argh · crikey · blimey · gosh · wow · yipe
2. pain — ouch, Pain interjection; sting (Sharp wound from insect); burn (Damage by heat); sharp (Fine-edged, or astute); jolt · wince · flinch · recoil · throb · prick · stab · zap · twinge · shock
3. surprise — startle, Frighten suddenly; shock (Violent sudden disturbance); jolt (Abrupt forceful shake); fright (Sudden intense fear); scare · gasp · jump · alarm · start · spook · stun · catch · bolt · recoil
Opposites
EMOTIONAL VALENCE OF EXCLAMATIONyeow ≠ ahh Vocalized satisfaction; mmm · ooh · phew · whew · ahhh
intensity of vocalizationyeow ≠ sigh Audible emotional breath; whisper · murmur · hush · shh · hmm
Categories
pain sounds: ouch, ow, oww, owie, owwie
Family
meow, meows, mewing
- Familiarity
- Top 1,000,000
- Profile
- Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G