pshaw
/ˈʃɔː/interjection, verb
pshaw is spelled P-S-H-A-W: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 16 million words in written English, the 121,279th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an interjection, pshaw means “Indicating contempt, disgust, irritation, impatience, or disbelief” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in pshaw?
| Letters | 5: P-S-H-A-W |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | about once in every 16 million words; the 121,279th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is pshaw?
Pshaw appears about once in every 16 million words in written English, the 121,279th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce pshaw?
- /ˈʃɔː/
- /ˈpʃɔː/
Pshaw has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-pshaw.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of pshaw
- psshaw
- pshah
- psha
- pshaws present, singular, he/she/it
- pshawing participle, present
- pshawed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pshaw mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
interjection
- 1
Indicating contempt, disgust, irritation, impatience, or disbelief.
Pshaw! I can't believe it!
verb
- 1
To express disgust or contempt by saying “pshaw”.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pshaw in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense indicating contempt or disgust:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does pshaw come from?
A natural expressive noise of rejection. First attested in the late 17th century.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).