pooh-pooh

verb

ˈpü-(ˌ)pü How to pronounce pooh-pooh (audio)
pü-ˈpü
variants or less commonly poo-poo or pooh
pooh-poohed also poohed; pooh-poohing also poohing; pooh-poohs also poohs

intransitive verb

: to express contempt or impatience

transitive verb

: to express contempt for or make light of : play down, dismiss
pooh-pooher noun
or less commonly poo-pooer
plural pooh-poohers also poo-pooers
Despite what chief Providence pooh-pooher Jack Thomas writes in the Globe, I say the place is worth regular visits, especially after a day at the beach in southern Rhode Island. Paul Fischer

Examples of pooh-pooh in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
National Weather Service debunks woolly bear forecasting abilities Of course, the National Weather Service has come along to pooh-pooh the woolly bear's winter foresight, with its science and facts. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024 No wonder his officers pooh-pooh Haiti’s gangs as amateurs compared to their previous foes, like Al Shabaab – though the al Qaeda affiliate hasn’t been entirely vanquished back home in Kenya. Caitlin Stephen Hu, CNN, 10 Aug. 2024 Experts in the wind-power industry pooh-pooh such warnings. Peter Fairley, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Dec. 2010 Still others pooh-pooh the suggestion that British voters would make decisions at the ballot box based on the political direction of another country, even one as close and influential as the United States. Mark Landler, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

pooh

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of pooh-pooh was in 1823

Dictionary Entries Near pooh-pooh

Cite this Entry

“Pooh-pooh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pooh-pooh. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pooh-pooh

verb
ˈpü-pü,
pü-ˈpü
variants also pooh
ˈpü
1
: to express scorn or impatience
2
: to treat with scorn : deride
pooh-pooh the idea of ghosts

More from Merriam-Webster on pooh-pooh

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!