"wah-wah" meaning in English

See wah-wah in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Etymology: Imitative. Head templates: {{en-adj|-}} wah-wah (not comparable)
  1. (music) Modifying the resonance of musical notes to produce the effect of a human voice. Tags: not-comparable Categories (topical): Music Derived forms: wah-wah pedal Translations (modifying the resonance of musical notes to produce the effect of a human voice): wah-wah (French), ワウ (wau) (Japanese)
    Sense id: en-wah-wah-en-adj-kBI8-IcJ Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

Interjection

Etymology: Imitative. Head templates: {{head|en|interjection}} wah-wah
  1. (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
    Sense id: en-wah-wah-en-intj-BjduLrkX Categories (other): American English, Canadian English, English onomatopoeias, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English reduplicated coordinated pairs, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 16 60 20 4 Disambiguation of English reduplicated coordinated pairs: 18 53 20 9 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 18 46 32 5

Noun

Forms: wah-wahs [plural]
Etymology: Imitative. Head templates: {{en-noun}} wah-wah (plural wah-wahs)
  1. (music) A wavering sound produced by means of a movable mute or by electronic means Categories (topical): Music Translations (wavering sound): wawa [feminine] (Italian)
    Sense id: en-wah-wah-en-noun-LyBOBdH5 Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

Verb

Forms: wah-wahs [present, singular, third-person], wah-wahing [participle, present], wah-wahed [participle, past], wah-wahed [past]
Etymology: Imitative. Head templates: {{en-verb}} wah-wah (third-person singular simple present wah-wahs, present participle wah-wahing, simple past and past participle wah-wahed)
  1. (music) to make a wah-wah sound Categories (topical): Music
    Sense id: en-wah-wah-en-verb-EKhWpCCx Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for wah-wah meaning in English (5.2kB)

{
  "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": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Music",
          "orig": "en:Music",
          "parents": [
            "Art",
            "Sound",
            "Culture",
            "Energy",
            "Society",
            "Nature",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "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_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": "16 60 20 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 53 20 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English reduplicated coordinated pairs",
          "parents": [
            "Reduplicated coordinated pairs",
            "Coordinated pairs",
            "Reduplications",
            "Terms by etymology"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 46 32 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "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": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "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": [
        [
          "onomatopoeia",
          "onomatopoeia"
        ],
        [
          "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_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": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Music",
          "orig": "en:Music",
          "parents": [
            "Art",
            "Sound",
            "Culture",
            "Energy",
            "Society",
            "Nature",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "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_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": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Music",
          "orig": "en:Music",
          "parents": [
            "Art",
            "Sound",
            "Culture",
            "Energy",
            "Society",
            "Nature",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "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 language name categories using raw markup",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English reduplicated coordinated pairs",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "wah-wah pedal"
    }
  ],
  "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 language name categories using raw markup",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English reduplicated coordinated pairs",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "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": [
        {
          "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": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The sad trombone sound, used to indicate failure or disappointment. May be used mockingly; also written wah wah and womp womp."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "onomatopoeia",
          "onomatopoeia"
        ],
        [
          "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 language name categories using raw markup",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English reduplicated coordinated pairs",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "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 language name categories using raw markup",
    "English interjections",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English reduplicated coordinated pairs",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English uncomparable adjectives",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "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"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-17 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-01 using wiktextract (0b52755 and 5cb0836). 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.