ah

1. An expression of relief, relaxation, comfort, confusion, understanding, wonder, awe, etc. according to uttered inflection.

   Ah, I understand now.

   5 more examples

   Ah! may the red rose live alway, To smile upon earth and sky! Why should the beautiful ever weep? Why should the beautiful die?

   1854, Stephen Foster, “Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway!”

   SALOMÉ: Who was that who cried out? SECOND SOLDIER: The prophet, Princess. SALOMÉ: Ah, the prophet! He of whom the Tetrarch is afraid? SECOND SOLDIER: We know nothing of that, Princess. It was the prophet Jokanaan who cried out.

   1904, Oscar Wilde, Salomé^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Salom%C3%A9_(Wilde_1904)), page 21

   From light-towers sending forth at even New hope, in place of old despair, Toiling in mines, in factories toiling— But, ah! why seek, why care To name them o'er? The brave, thank Heaven! Are everywhere!

   1915, Florence Van Leer Earle Coates, The Brave

   Ah! It's good to be back home!

   Ah, the flowers of spring.

2. A syllable used to fill space, particularly in music.

   Boy don't try to front, uh, I Know just, just, what you are, ah, ah.

   2008, Britney Spears, “Womanizer”

plural ahs

1. An instance of the interjection ah.

   the crowd's oohs and ahs at the fireworks

present singular third person ahs · participle present ahing · participle past ahed · past ahed

1. To give a cry of "ah".

   Mother and dad oohed and ahed over Cindy. She was only two months old but already was developing her personality.

   2005, T. R. Rhoads, Sinner, Sailor: A Memoir, page 221

plural we · adjective possessive mah · alternative Ah

1. personalpronounpronunciation spellingPronunciation spelling of I, most often indicating that the speaker is using a Scottish or American (particularly Southern) accent or African-American Vernacular English.

   Did ah ever say anything derogatory against ma man Franco? Well, likesay. . . he's no a bad punter.

   1993, Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting, Times Film School, page 50

alternative ar · alternative arh

1. interrogativeMarks a yes–no tag question prompting the listener to clarify or confirm something.

   You’re dyslexic ah?

   So you’re dyslexic?

   4 more examples

   Pitch contour: low-mid /ɑ(ː)˨/, [ä˨]

   So how are you Jackson? Very busy, ah? Never come around to see me these days.

   1989, Eleanor Wong, Jackson on a Jaunt, or, Mistaken Identities, page 3, lines 49–50

   Cannot talk-ah? God give you mouth for what? No courtesy-ah? Kanneena!

   2007, Elangovan, P, Singapore, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 80

   Only 2 ft apart considered safe ah?

   2020 December 4, Notdumb, “Liddat is safe distance ah?”, in SG Talk, archived from the original on 18 Apr 2020

   Synonyms: hah, is it, izzit

2. interrogativeReinforces a short, non-rhetorical wh-question.

   How do you delete this row ah?

   2 more examples

   Pitch contour: rising /ɑ(ː)˨˦/

   See how lor. Who’s going ar?

   2011 October 23, Rachel Chang, “LifeStyle”, in The Sunday Times, page 15

3. Emphasizes the need for absolute confirmation, permission or acknowledgment.

   Don’t drink and drive ah...

   2 more examples

   Pitch contour: rising /ɑ(ː)˨˦/

   Sure, ah? Thanks, man, pai seh.

   2010 April 18, Colin Goh, “LifeStyle”, in The Sunday Times, page 24

   Synonyms: hor

4. A particle indicating the topic of a sentence from its comment.

   Pitch contour: rising /ɑ(ː)˨˦/

   2 more examples

   The drilling upstairs ah, non-stop leh.

   These fish, ah, anything also eat one.

   2014, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, Singapore Noir, Akashic Books, →ISBN, page 89

5. A confirmative final particle used in the middle of a sentence to ascertain the continued attention of the listener.

   Near-synonym: right

   2 more examples

   Pitch contour: rising /ɑ(ː)˨˦/

   You know, arh, Isaac—I’ve liked you from the very start, he said. I consider myself very lucky to be your manager.

   2021, Daryl Qilin Yam, Lovelier, Lonelier, Epigram Books, →ISBN

   Synonyms: right

6. uncommonTagged at the end of non-interrogative sentence to convey a sense of informality or resignation.

   Pitch contour: mid-falling /ɑ(ː)˧˨/

7. A vocative particle, used for direct address (over telephone calls, or to directly address the listener).

   Hello? Joey ah?

   Hello? Is this Joey?

   2 more examples

   Pitch contour: low-mid /ɑ(ː)˨/

   Susie ah, Emily here ah. This afternoon I'm going to town, anything that you're needing?

   1983, Stella Kon, Emily of Emerald Hill, →ISBN, Act 1, page 3

8. Used as an intensifier in fixed expressions, sometimes exhortative in meaning.

   Heng ah...

   Phew!

   1 more example

   Pitch contour: mid-falling /ɑ(ː)˧˨/, low-mid /ɑ(ː)˨/

alternative ar · alternative arh

1. ManglishSinglishAn expression, used when it has become clear that there is a straightforward conclusion or resolution to something.

   Pitch contour: mid-falling /ɑ(ː)˧˨/, falling /ɑ(ː)˦˨/, sometimes nasalized

   1 more example

   Eh girl, plain sugar syrup is just water and sugar you know, you can do this at home yourself—you boil the hot water, and you pour the sugar in—ah, then you have your plain sugar syrup.

   2011, Prem Anand, J T Koh, S. Rajaretnam, Michelle Chong, The Noose, season 4, episode 12 (television production), spoken by John (and sometimes Larry) Koh (Alaric Tay), via Channel 5 (Mediacorp)

2. ManglishSinglishA condescending expression, used in response to someone holding stubborn beliefs when it has become clear that they were wrong all the time, somewhat like see? or I told you so.

   Pitch contour: mid-falling /ɑ(ː)˧˨/, falling /ɑ(ː)˦˨/, sometimes nasalized

1. Yuck.

plural Ahs

1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of ampere-hour (unit of charge).

1. A prefix of Chinese origin used with a shortened form of given names to express familiarity, roughly equivalent to a nickname.

   Ah Ming moved out of Chinatown last year.

   1 more example

   I was called, at about an hour's notice, to take Ah Quai (the girl rescued in the spring), and go with Mr. Gardiner to Seattle, and give evidence in the case of one of the women brought over on the same ship with Ah Quai.

   1893 July 4, “Chinese Work in British Columbia”, in Missionary Leaflet, volume 9, number 10, page 2

1. Alternative letter-case form of ah (“I”).

1. USaeronauticsprefix for attack helicopter, helicopter gunship designations

1. abbreviationcalendar termsAbbreviation of Anno Hegirae: in the year of the Hegira, used for dates using the Islamic calendar.

   Synonyms: H

1. abbreviationinitialismslanglifestyleInitialism of all human: applied to fan fiction stories in which supernatural characters are reimagined as normal human beings.

1. abbreviationAbbreviation of after hours

   The $600M offering announced AH on a Friday. We all know the bad rep $AAOI had in the past with the “shady management” and this does not help their case. Stock is down -10% AH on the news.

   2026 August 21, TW, X