Meanings
- Used to express surprise.
1995, Robin Hobb, Assassin's Apprentice : The Farseer Trilogy Book 1, Del Rey Mass Market Edition, p. 117. And when Regal and I rode down to get it, lo and behold, it's from Patience, to tell us Chivalry's dead.
1 more example
Here was I sat down, full of Love and Respect to write my dearest Friends a dutiful and loving letter, when lo, and behold! I was made happy by the receipt of yours.
1766, "Miss N", Select letters Between the Late Duchess of Somerset, Lady Luxborough, Mr Whistler, ... and Others, Thomas Hull (editor)
Origin
The lo in the expression probably originated from the shortening of the word look, commonly seen in Middle English texts. Its presence in literature can be traced to at least as early as the 18th century. The literal meaning of the expression is look and see, and it is always used as if in the imperative.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic يَا لَلْعَجَبِ
- يَا لَلْعَجَبِ (yā lalʕajabi)used to express surprise
Catalan ves per on!
- ves per on!used to express surprise
Chinese Mandarin 你瞧瞧, 你瞧
- 你瞧瞧 (nǐ qiáo qiáo)used to express surprise
- 你瞧 (nǐ qiáo)used to express surprise
Dutch neen maar!, kijk eens!
- neen maar!used to express surprise
- kijk eens!used to express surprise
Finnish kas kummaa
- kas kummaaused to express surprise
French et voilà !, tiens, tiens !
- et voilà !used to express surprise
- tiens, tiens !used to express surprise
- voilà-t-il pasused to express surprise
German siehe da!, schau mal an!
- siehe da!used to express surprise
- schau mal an!used to express surprise
Hebrew והפלא ופלא
- והפלא ופלא (vehafele vafele)used to express surprise
Hindi देखो और अवलोकन करो, देखो एवं अवलोकन करो
- देखो और अवलोकन करो (dekho aur avlokan karo)used to express surprise
- देखो एवं अवलोकन करो (dekho evã avlokan karo)used to express surprise
Hungarian íme, lám
- ímeused to express surprise
- lámused to express surprise
Italian guarda caso
- guarda casoused to express surprise
Japanese 見よ, 驚くべきことに
- 見よ (miyo)used to express surprise
- 驚くべきことに (odoroku beki kotoni)used to express surprise
Korean 자, 보시라
- 자, 보시라 (ja, bosira)used to express surprise
Lithuanian žiūrėk tu man
- žiūrėk tu manused to express surprise
Norwegian Bokmål har du sett
- har du settused to express surprise
Polish patrzcie!
- patrzcie!used to express surprise
Portuguese veja só
- veja sóused to express surprise
Romanian ia te uită
- ia te uităused to express surprise
Russian вот те на́, смотри́-ка
- вот те на́ (vot te ná)used to express surprise
- смотри́-ка (smotrí-ka)used to express surprise
- глядь (gljadʹ)used to express surprise
- о чу́до (o čúdo)used to express surprise
- вот чудеса́ (vot čudesá)used to express surprise
Spanish ¡y quién lo iba a decir!, ¡que sorpresa!
- ¡y quién lo iba a decir!used to express surprise
- ¡que sorpresa!used to express surprise
Swedish hör och häpna, har du sett
- hör och häpnaused to express surprise
- har du settused to express surprise
- se därused to express surprise
- se på fanused to express surprise
Turkish bak sen, bak şu işe
- bak senused to express surprise
- bak şu işeused to express surprise
Cite this entry
lo and behold. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lo%20and%20behold
“lo and behold.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lo%20and%20behold. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lo and behold,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lo%20and%20behold.
Source: lo and behold on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.