aww

Meanings

1. 1interjectioninformal

   Used to show sympathy, tenderness, or affection, especially when something is cute or touching.

   Grammar: Used alone or at the start of a sentence. Often followed by a comma or an exclamation mark. Very common in speech and informal writing.

   Patterns

   • aww, ...
   • aww!

   Aww, that puppy is so cute!

   Aww, you remembered my birthday!

   Aww, poor thing, did you hurt yourself?

2. 2interjectioninformal

   Used to show mild disappointment or regret.

   Grammar: Often followed by a statement of what is disappointing. The tone is usually soft, not angry.

   Patterns

   • aww, ...

   Aww, I missed the beginning of the movie.

   Aww, that's too bad.

   Aww, I wanted to go too.

Common combinations

aww, poor you

Aww, poor you — did you have to work all weekend?

aww, that's so sweet

Aww, that's so sweet of you to say.

aww, too bad

Aww, too bad you can't come.

Synonyms and how they differ

oh

Oh is more general and can show surprise, realization, or other emotions; aww is more specifically for tenderness or mild disappointment.

aw

Aw is a variant spelling of aww, often used in the same way; aww may look slightly more affectionate or drawn out.

Commonly confused: aww or awe?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “aww”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words