Meanings
- CanadaUShumorousonomatopoeicUsed, sometimes mockingly, to indicate failure or disappointment.
However, this fad quickly faded when people realized this technology (sad trombone: womp, womp) . . . well, it didn't work.
2017, Joe Clement, Matt Miles, Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse Is Making Our Kids Dumber, page 2272 more examples
But in happy news, she said that even though “I have balance in all aspects of my life except for love,” (womp womp) I haven’t met my twin flame.
2019 November, Vonetta Logan, “Future Shtick”, in Luckbox, page 11Bread: alcoholic fermentation isn’t just for booze. When yeast, single-celled fungi, chow down on dough’s carbohydrates, they produce alcohol and carbon dioxide gas (the alcohol is evaporated during baking, womp womp).
2020, Meredith Hardie, "Back To Basics", Foodism, Summer 2020, page 39Synonyms: boowomp, wah-wah, sad trombone
Synonyms & antonyms
interjectionUsed, sometimes mockingly, to indicate failure or disappointment.
Origin
Imitative of a plaintive descending four-note trumpet or trombone sound, like G–F♯–F–E, articulated with a plunger mute, played during game shows to indicate a player losing.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
womp womp. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/womp%20womp
“womp womp.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/womp%20womp. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “womp womp,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/womp%20womp.
Source: womp womp on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.