Meaning & use
ooh la la
Last updated
Meanings
interjection
Used to show playful surprise or admiration, especially at something stylish, glamorous, or slightly daring.
Grammar: Stands alone as a reaction; it is not part of a sentence structure and takes no object.
Patterns
- ooh la la!
- say ooh la la
Ooh la la! Look at that red sports car.
She walked in wearing a silk gown, and everyone went, "Ooh la la!"
Ooh la la, a whole weekend in Paris — how fancy!
adjectivebefore a nouninformalhumorous
Stylish or fancy in a showy, slightly over-the-top way, often with a French feeling.
Grammar: Used before a noun to describe something glamorous or flashy: an ooh la la dress.
Patterns
- an ooh la la outfit
- so ooh la la
They booked an ooh la la hotel with gold taps in the bathroom.
He drove up in a very ooh la la convertible.
Common combinations
- say ooh la la
- Everyone said ooh la la when the cake was carried in.
- go ooh la la
- The crowd went ooh la la at the fireworks.
- a bit ooh la la
- The decor is a bit ooh la la for my taste.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: ooh la la or oh là là?
ooh la la vs oh là là
The French spelling; English usually writes it as three separate words, ooh la la.
Practice
Which sentence uses "ooh la la" most naturally?
Choose one answer.
"Ooh la la" reacts to something stylish or daring, so admiring a glamorous dress fits. Option 0 describes an ordinary mistake, where "oops" would be used instead.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ooh la la”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.