Whew vs Phew - What's the difference?
whew | phew | Synonyms |
An expressive sound made indicating the release of one's inner tension; the release of breath; an expression of relief.
An expression of amazement or surprise.
* 1981 , , revised edition, chapter 1,
(UK, Scotland, dialect) To whistle with a shrill pipe, like a plover.
English onomatopoeias
Used to show relief, fatigue, surprise, or disgust.
* Phew , that took a long time to define!
Phew is a synonym of whew.
As interjections the difference between whew and phew
is that whew is an expressive sound made indicating the release of one's inner tension; the release of breath; an expression of relief while phew is used to show relief, fatigue, surprise, or disgust.As a verb whew
is to whistle with a shrill pipe, like a plover.whew
English
Interjection
(en interjection)- (from strenuous labour) Whew! That box weighs a ton!
- (from intense concern) Whew! Thank goodness you?re safe! I thought something terrible had happened to you!
- (from fear of being seen) Whew! That cop didn?t see me! That was a close call!
- "...Now I must be off. Whew , it's as cold as the North Pole. Which way is the wind blowing?"