whoopee
C1Informal, playful, slightly dated
Definition
Meaning
A loud, exuberant cry of joy or excitement.
Noisy celebration, revelry, or unrestrained fun.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often associated with childlike or boisterous celebration. Can imply a sense of abandonment or silliness. The word itself is onomatopoeic.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both use the term similarly. It may be perceived as slightly more old-fashioned in British English.
Connotations
Playful, childlike, sometimes ironically used for hyperbolic celebration.
Frequency
Low frequency in formal contexts. More common in set phrases like 'make whoopee'.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + make + whoopee[Subject] + shout/cry + whoopeeVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “make whoopee (to celebrate noisily; also a dated euphemism for sexual activity)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Virtually never used.
Everyday
Used for playful, exaggerated expressions of joy, especially by children or humorously by adults.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- There was a great deal of whoopee after the final whistle.
- The party descended into cheerful whoopee.
American English
- The announcement was met with whoops and whoopee.
- It was a night of pure whoopee.
interjection
British English
- Whoopee! I've just been offered a place at university!
- Whoopee, it's snowing!
American English
- Whoopee! We won the championship!
- Whoopee, no school today!
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The children shouted 'whoopee!' when they saw the ice cream van.
- Whoopee! We're going to the beach tomorrow.
- After the exam results came out, the students made whoopee all night long.
- His rather dated suggestion to 'make whoopee' was met with polite, bemused smiles from the younger colleagues.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a clown at a party shouting 'WHOO-PEE!' every time the whoopee cushion makes a sound.
Conceptual Metaphor
JOY IS AN EXPLOSIVE RELEASE (of sound/energy)
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not to be confused with 'ура' (ura) in all contexts; 'whoopee' is more specific and playful. 'Make whoopee' is an idiom with a potential secondary meaning.
Common Mistakes
- Spelling as 'whoopy' or 'whoopie'. Using it in a formal context.
Practice
Quiz
What is the most common idiomatic use of 'whoopee'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is decidedly informal and playful.
A practical joke device that makes a flatulence-like sound when someone sits on it.
Primarily yes, but it acquired a dated, humorous euphemistic meaning for sexual activity in the early 20th century.
Rarely and non-standardly. It is primarily an interjection or a noun.
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