Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ouch

/ˈaʊt͡ʃ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.56 in modern English

Syllables: ouch
IPA: /ˈaʊt͡ʃ/

9

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

intj

An expression of one's own physical pain.

intj

An expression in sympathy at another's pain.

intj

A reply to an insult seen as savage (frequently one that is tongue-in-cheek or joking).

intj

An expression of disappointment.

intj

Expressing surprise at the high price of something.

Slang

noun

Something that causes discomfort or pain.

Informal

verb

To exclaim "ouch!" in discomfort or pain.

Intransitive verb

noun

Alternative form of ouche.

Example Sentences

"Ouch! You stepped on my toe! That hurt!"
"Ouch! Her sunburn looks awful."
"Ouch. How could you say that?"
"Ouch, I really wanted to do that."
"Ouch, one hundred thousand dollars for a car! I could never afford that!"
"RhuliGel soothes the itches and ouches of summer."

Etymology

Uncertain. Some sources say the interjection is attested since 1838 (and specifically in American English) and derives ultimately from German autsch, perhaps specifically via Pennsylvania German outch (“cry of pain”), as early attestations of the interjection are from Pennsylvania. However, others say the interjection is a "mere" or "natural" exclamation attested since the mid 1600s, and the 1933 OED cites one instance of a verb "ouch" in 1654, "Sancho Pancas Runs Ouching round the mountaine like a ranck-Asse".

Origin

Source language: German

Word Breakdown

Root: autsch, outch

Usage

Inflected Forms

ouches (plural) ouches (present, singular) ouching (participle, present) ouched (participle, past) ouched (past)

Derived Forms

ouchie ouchless ouchy

Synonyms

ooch oof ow owie youch yow yowch

Rhymes With

couch pouch crouch vouch slouch grouch bouche fouche rouch bouch fouch foutch

Questions

How do you pronounce ouch?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈaʊt͡ʃ/.
What does ouch mean?: An expression of one's own physical pain.
Where does ouch come from?: It is traced to German.

How to pronounce ouch

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ouch”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈaʊt͡ʃ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “ouch”.
Repeat and practice — Say “ouch” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.