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Internet Slang

OW Meaning: Examples and Definition of the Useful Slang Term ‘OW’

You may have seen the internet slang term ow many times whilst spending time online, but what is the meaning of this slang and how is it meant to be used? We are going to take a look at the answers to these questions by looking at some examples of incidents in which the slang can be used. We will also look at the origin of the slang and where it came from in the first instance.

Ow Meaning

What Does Ow Mean?

The internet slang term ow primarily means ouch! Ouch is an exclamation which someone might make when they are hurt and in an internet sense, this term can be used to refer to a hurtful subject.

Origin of Ow

The internet slang term ow is an abbreviation of the word ouch, making it quicker and more easy to type.

Other meanings

This internet slang term does have more than one meaning. You may also see it being used to in the following ways.

  • Other woman – referring to a woman with whom a married man is having an affair.
  • Oh well – an expression meaning never mind or it doesn’t matter.

Conversation Examples

There may be a variety of different conversations found on the internet in which the slang term ow appears. We will now look at some examples of how it can be used by looking at each of the different meanings in a conversational context.

The first conversation shows the use of the term to mean ouch!

  • Person 1: Hey, look at this video.
  • Person 2: What is it of?
  • Person 1: It’s of a guy falling out of a tree.
  • Person 2: Ow, I bet that hurt!

The next conversation is one which features the term using the meaning of other woman.

  • Person 1: Did you get my email?
  • Person 2: Yes, I can’t believe that photo of Dave. I never knew he was having an affair.
  • Person 1: Yes, and the ow is my sister!

The final conversation shows the slang term being used to mean oh well.

  • Person 1: I’m having a party on Friday, can you and Steve make it?
  • Person 2: I can, but Steve is busy.
  • Person 1: ow, we can have fun without him.

Other Ways to Say the Slang

There are other ways in which you might express the meaning of the internet slang term ow, we will now take a look at some examples of other things you could say which mean the same thing.

  • owwee (meaning ouch)
  • mistress (meaning other woman)
  • ah well (meaning oh well.)

Ow Meaning Infographic

OWPin

B1 Knowledge Check · 5 questions

OW Meaning: Examples and Definition of the Useful Slang Term ‘OW’ — Practice Quiz

1 / 5
Q1

Question 1: What is the primary meaning of the internet slang term "ow"?

Question 1 options
According to the article, the primary meaning of "ow" is "ouch," an exclamation someone makes when they are hurt. In an internet sense, it can refer to a hurtful subject.
Q2

Question 2: The internet slang term "ow" has only one meaning and cannot be used in any other way.

Question 2 options
This is false. The article explains that "ow" has multiple meanings: it can mean "ouch," "other woman" (referring to a woman with whom a married man is having an affair), or "oh well" (meaning never mind).
Q3

Question 3: In which sentence is "ow" used correctly according to its meanings described in the article?

Question 3 options
"Ow, I bet that hurt!" correctly uses "ow" as an exclamation meaning "ouch," which matches the primary meaning discussed in the article. The other sentences misuse the term in contexts that don't match any of its recognized meanings.
Q4

Question 4: Match each slang usage of "ow" with its correct meaning.

Question 4 options

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

pair_side"": ""right""}
Q5

Question 5: According to the article, which of the following is a synonym or alternative way to express the "other woman" meaning of "ow"?

Question 5 options
The article lists "mistress" as an alternative way to express the "other woman" meaning of "ow." The other options correspond to different meanings: "owwee" and "ah well" are alternatives for the "ouch" and "oh well" meanings respectively, and "whatever" is unrelated.

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