See wah-wah on Wiktionary
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "Imitative"
},
"expansion": "Imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Imitative.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "-"
},
"expansion": "wah-wah (not comparable)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Music",
"orig": "en:Music",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
}
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "wah-wah pedal"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Modifying the resonance of musical notes to produce the effect of a human voice."
],
"id": "en-wah-wah-en-adj-kBI8-IcJ",
"links": [
[
"music",
"music"
],
[
"resonance",
"resonance"
],
[
"note",
"note"
],
[
"human",
"human"
],
[
"voice",
"voice"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(music) Modifying the resonance of musical notes to produce the effect of a human voice."
],
"tags": [
"not-comparable"
],
"topics": [
"entertainment",
"lifestyle",
"music"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "modifying the resonance of musical notes to produce the effect of a human voice",
"word": "wah-wah"
},
{
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "wau",
"sense": "modifying the resonance of musical notes to produce the effect of a human voice",
"word": "ワウ"
}
]
}
],
"word": "wah-wah"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "Imitative"
},
"expansion": "Imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Imitative.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "interjection"
},
"expansion": "wah-wah",
"name": "head"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "intj",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "American English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Canadian English",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English onomatopoeias",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "18 45 18 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "8 74 9 10",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English onomatopoeias",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "16 54 14 17",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English reduplicated coordinated pairs",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 53 15 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Entries with translation boxes",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 34 23 24",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "17 42 20 21",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "17 42 18 23",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with French translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "21 41 19 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Italian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 42 22 19",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
190,
198
]
],
"ref": "2018 June 20, “Corey Lewandowski Mocks Immigrant Child With Down Syndrome Taken From Mother: 'Wah, Wah'”, in Inside Edition:",
"text": "When told during a Fox News segment about a 10-year-old with Down syndrome who was separated from her mother at the southern border, the former campaign manager of President Trump replied, \"Wah wah.\"",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The sad trombone sound, used to indicate failure or disappointment. May be used mockingly; also written wah wah and womp womp."
],
"id": "en-wah-wah-en-intj-BjduLrkX",
"links": [
[
"sad trombone",
"sad trombone#English"
],
[
"failure",
"failure#English"
],
[
"disappointment",
"disappointment#English"
],
[
"wah wah",
"wah wah"
],
[
"womp womp",
"womp womp"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(US, Canada, onomatopoeia) The sad trombone sound, used to indicate failure or disappointment. May be used mockingly; also written wah wah and womp womp."
],
"tags": [
"Canada",
"US",
"onomatopoeic"
]
}
],
"word": "wah-wah"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "Imitative"
},
"expansion": "Imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Imitative.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "wah-wahs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "wah-wah (plural wah-wahs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Music",
"orig": "en:Music",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A wavering sound produced by means of a movable mute or by electronic means"
],
"id": "en-wah-wah-en-noun-LyBOBdH5",
"links": [
[
"music",
"music"
],
[
"wavering",
"wavering"
],
[
"sound",
"sound"
],
[
"mute",
"mute"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(music) A wavering sound produced by means of a movable mute or by electronic means"
],
"topics": [
"entertainment",
"lifestyle",
"music"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "wavering sound",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "wawa"
}
]
}
],
"word": "wah-wah"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "Imitative"
},
"expansion": "Imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Imitative.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "wah-wahs",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "wah-wahing",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "wah-wahed",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "wah-wahed",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "wah-wah (third-person singular simple present wah-wahs, present participle wah-wahing, simple past and past participle wah-wahed)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Music",
"orig": "en:Music",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
}
],
"glosses": [
"to make a wah-wah sound"
],
"id": "en-wah-wah-en-verb-EKhWpCCx",
"links": [
[
"music",
"music"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(music) to make a wah-wah sound"
],
"topics": [
"entertainment",
"lifestyle",
"music"
]
}
],
"word": "wah-wah"
}
{
"categories": [
"English adjectives",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English interjections",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English onomatopoeias",
"English reduplicated coordinated pairs",
"English uncomparable adjectives",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Japanese translations"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "wah-wah pedal"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "Imitative"
},
"expansion": "Imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Imitative.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "-"
},
"expansion": "wah-wah (not comparable)",
"name": "en-adj"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "adj",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"en:Music"
],
"glosses": [
"Modifying the resonance of musical notes to produce the effect of a human voice."
],
"links": [
[
"music",
"music"
],
[
"resonance",
"resonance"
],
[
"note",
"note"
],
[
"human",
"human"
],
[
"voice",
"voice"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(music) Modifying the resonance of musical notes to produce the effect of a human voice."
],
"tags": [
"not-comparable"
],
"topics": [
"entertainment",
"lifestyle",
"music"
]
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "modifying the resonance of musical notes to produce the effect of a human voice",
"word": "wah-wah"
},
{
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "wau",
"sense": "modifying the resonance of musical notes to produce the effect of a human voice",
"word": "ワウ"
}
],
"word": "wah-wah"
}
{
"categories": [
"English adjectives",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English interjections",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English onomatopoeias",
"English reduplicated coordinated pairs",
"English uncomparable adjectives",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Japanese translations"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "Imitative"
},
"expansion": "Imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Imitative.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "interjection"
},
"expansion": "wah-wah",
"name": "head"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "intj",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"American English",
"Canadian English",
"English onomatopoeias",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
190,
198
]
],
"ref": "2018 June 20, “Corey Lewandowski Mocks Immigrant Child With Down Syndrome Taken From Mother: 'Wah, Wah'”, in Inside Edition:",
"text": "When told during a Fox News segment about a 10-year-old with Down syndrome who was separated from her mother at the southern border, the former campaign manager of President Trump replied, \"Wah wah.\"",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The sad trombone sound, used to indicate failure or disappointment. May be used mockingly; also written wah wah and womp womp."
],
"links": [
[
"sad trombone",
"sad trombone#English"
],
[
"failure",
"failure#English"
],
[
"disappointment",
"disappointment#English"
],
[
"wah wah",
"wah wah"
],
[
"womp womp",
"womp womp"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(US, Canada, onomatopoeia) The sad trombone sound, used to indicate failure or disappointment. May be used mockingly; also written wah wah and womp womp."
],
"tags": [
"Canada",
"US",
"onomatopoeic"
]
}
],
"word": "wah-wah"
}
{
"categories": [
"English adjectives",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English interjections",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English onomatopoeias",
"English reduplicated coordinated pairs",
"English uncomparable adjectives",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Japanese translations"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "Imitative"
},
"expansion": "Imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Imitative.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "wah-wahs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "wah-wah (plural wah-wahs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"en:Music"
],
"glosses": [
"A wavering sound produced by means of a movable mute or by electronic means"
],
"links": [
[
"music",
"music"
],
[
"wavering",
"wavering"
],
[
"sound",
"sound"
],
[
"mute",
"mute"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(music) A wavering sound produced by means of a movable mute or by electronic means"
],
"topics": [
"entertainment",
"lifestyle",
"music"
]
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "wavering sound",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "wawa"
}
],
"word": "wah-wah"
}
{
"categories": [
"English adjectives",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English interjections",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English onomatopoeias",
"English reduplicated coordinated pairs",
"English uncomparable adjectives",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Japanese translations"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"title": "Imitative"
},
"expansion": "Imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "Imitative.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "wah-wahs",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "wah-wahing",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "wah-wahed",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "wah-wahed",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "wah-wah (third-person singular simple present wah-wahs, present participle wah-wahing, simple past and past participle wah-wahed)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"en:Music"
],
"glosses": [
"to make a wah-wah sound"
],
"links": [
[
"music",
"music"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(music) to make a wah-wah sound"
],
"topics": [
"entertainment",
"lifestyle",
"music"
]
}
],
"word": "wah-wah"
}
Download raw JSONL data for wah-wah meaning in All languages combined (6.1kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-05-08 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-05-01 using wiktextract (887c61b and 3d4dee6). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.