heehaw: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowInformal, often humorous or onomatopoeic
Quick answer
What does “heehaw” mean?
The loud, braying sound made by a donkey.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The loud, braying sound made by a donkey.
A loud, coarse, or raucous laugh that resembles a donkey's bray. Informally, it can refer to nonsense, triviality, or something considered foolish or rustic.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. The informal/nonsense sense might be slightly more prevalent in British English.
Connotations
Consistently carries connotations of rural life, simplicity, foolishness, or crude noise in both variants.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency and colloquial in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “heehaw” in a Sentence
Noun: The donkey gave a loud heehaw.Verb (intransitive): The mule began to heehaw.Interjection: 'Heehaw!' he shouted, imitating the donkey.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “heehaw” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The donkey over the fence started to heehaw at dawn.
- Stop heehawing and listen properly!
American English
- The mule heehawed loudly when it saw the feed bucket.
- He just heehaws at every joke, it's so annoying.
adverb
British English
- He laughed heehaw, startling the birds.
- (Rare usage)
American English
- The audience reacted heehaw to the clown's fall.
- (Rare usage)
adjective
British English
- He had a kind of heehaw laugh that filled the pub.
- It was a heehaw sort of comedy, very unsophisticated.
American English
- That heehaw humour isn't for everyone.
- We heard a heehaw noise from the old barn.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used, except potentially in highly informal, metaphorical criticism (e.g., 'That proposal is just heehaw').
Academic
Not used, except perhaps in literary analysis or linguistics discussing onomatopoeia.
Everyday
Used occasionally in rural contexts or when imitating animals/childish laughter. Mostly humorous.
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “heehaw”
- Spelling as two words: 'hee haw'.
- Using it in formal writing.
- Confusing it with 'yeehaw', a different exclamation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a real word classified as an onomatopoeia. It is recognized as both a noun (for the sound) and a verb (to make the sound).
Yes, but it is informal and often derogatory, implying the laugh is loud, coarse, and unattractive, similar to a donkey's bray.
'Heehaw' imitates a donkey. 'Yeehaw' is an exclamation of excitement or enthusiasm, often associated with American cowboys or rodeo culture.
No, it is a low-frequency word. Its use is mostly confined to specific contexts: describing animal sounds, humorous imitation, or rustic/nonsense connotations in informal speech.
The loud, braying sound made by a donkey.
Heehaw is usually informal, often humorous or onomatopoeic in register.
Heehaw: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhiː.hɔː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhiː.hɔː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Not worth a heehaw”
- “All heehaw and no action”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Remember 'Hee' and 'Haw' - the two syllables of a donkey's bray. Think: 'He' (Hee) and his grandpa (Haw) both laugh like donkeys.
Conceptual Metaphor
A CRUDE LAUGH IS AN ANIMAL'S BRAY. NONSENSE IS ANIMAL NOISE.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'heehaw' be LEAST appropriate?