English · Word Candidate

whoa

/wəʊ/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: whoas · whoaing · whoaed

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down.

Interjection

Whoa, Nelly!

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

An expression of surprise.

Interjection

Whoa, are you serious?

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

To attempt to slow (an animal) by crying "whoa".

Verb

He was whoaing the horses loudly, and they did seem to be going faster than usual—in fact, they were galloping.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “whoa” mean?

Stop (especially when commanding a horse or imitative thereof); calm down; slow down.

Is “whoa” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.