P U

interjection

An interjection in response to smelling an unpleasant scent.

“What is that awful smell? P U!”

OriginSpanish fu ← French puer →
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

interjection

alternative P.U. · alternative P. U. · alternative PU · alternative peeyoo · alternative pee-ew · alternative pee-yew · alternative peeyew · alternative P-U

  1. euphemisticAn interjection in response to smelling an unpleasant scent.

    What is that awful smell? P U!

Origin

  1. Frenchpuer“to stink”
  2. Spanishfu
  3. EnglishP U

Originally single-syllable (variably pue, peuh, peugh, pyoo, pew). Compare pooh and ew. Perhaps influenced by Spanish fu, an interjection indicating disgust, or French puer (“to stink”).

More words from Spanish, French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Polish fu, fuj
  • furesponse to an unpleasant scent
  • fujresponse to an unpleasant scent
  • feresponse to an unpleasant scent
Russian фу!
  • фу! (fu)response to an unpleasant scent
Cite this entry
APA

P U. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/P%20U

MLA

“P U.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/P%20U. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “P U,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/P%20U.

Source: P U on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.