ouch
How to Use Ouch
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA quick word people blurt out when something hurts, physically or figuratively.
Very informal, mostly spoken.
Word Forms
ouched past tense, ouches plural, Ouches plural, ouches singular
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____! I just stubbed my toe on the table.
Etymology
Its exact origin is debated. Some trace it to German autsch by way of Pennsylvania German communities in the 1800s; others say it's simply a natural pain-cry that English speakers have used since the 1600s.