What does the acronym OWO stand for?
According to Collins Dictionary and 7 E S L, the term OWO may come across as a bit of a weird acronym at first. However, most often this term is not used as an acronym at all but as an internet slang term emoticon that is used to express surprise and excitement. This term is used as an emoticon on social media, instant messenger, and via SMS text messaging. People can see this term on Kik, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and many other social media sites in which slang words and memes are common.
While the origin of the emoticon OwO, owo, or OwO is not known exactly, many believe that it originated in Japan along with many other emoticons like it. Many of the first wave of internet emoticons are of Japanese origin. Some people believe that this is a result of anime and manga and that the first people to use these emoticons in America were furry enthusiasts. Furries are people who like to dress up like an animal for sexual purposes.
Some people believe that the would of OwO is supposed to make a woooo or oooo sound, however it is most commonly pronounced oo-woo. The two O’s in the emoticon are meant to represent wide eyes, while the w represents a happy, content mouth. Therefore, this expression can show a facial expression of happy excitement.
Dictionary states that there are many different variations on the abbreviation OWO. Any of these can be used to express warmth, happiness and affection. However, OWO more closely resembles a happy excited state whereas uwu and its variants express a warm and fuzzy feeling. OwO, uwu, UwU, and OwU can all be used as variants of owo or OWO.
The Free Dictionary states that this combination of letters can also be used as an acronym, though this is far less common than using OWO or OwO as an emoticon or expression of emotion. If you decide to sue one of these acronyms, you should make sure that the context is abundantly clear so that the recipient does not simply think you are using an emoticon. Whenever you are using a combination of letters or an acronym that can have multiple variants you should ensure that you are providing proper context to the reader.
- Oakville Wind Orchestra (Canada)
- One Way Out
- Tungsten Dioxide (chemical compound)
- Ohio Watersheds Online
- Obsolete When Out (car slang)
- Old World Order (various organizations)
- On Work Order
- One World Order
- Outdoor Writers of Ohio
- Open Watershed Overlay
- Oriental Women Organization (Pakistan; est. 2003)
- Origin Worlds Online (gaming community site)
- Operations Workforce Optimization
- Oral Without
- One Woman Operation
How can the abbreviation emoticon OWO be used in a sentence?
The emoticon OwO is often used in conversations that take places over social media, instant messenger, or SMS text message. It is a great, casual emoticon that one can use in place of an emoji to express happy excitement or surprise. In this example, Jana and Tessie are texting about Jana’s birthday that is coming up.
Jana: So I told my parents I didn’t really want a party this year…
Tessie: OMG why? What’s wrong?
Jana: Nothing’s wrong… the only thing I really wanted to do was to go to Disneyland with my best friend…
Tessie: What did they say? :’-(
Jana: …They said yes! You, me, and my parents are going to Disneyland for three whole days for my birthday weekend!
Tessie: OwO really?! OMG I’m so excited! I thought you were gonna say they said know!
Jana: LOL, I know! I wanted to surprise you!
Here, Tessie uses the emoticon OwO to show her happy excitement and surprise at being able to go to Disneyland for Jana’s birthday with her family.
What are synonyms for the term OWO?
If you are in a situation in which it is not appropriate to use an emoticon, like in a business email, formal letter, or other professional or formal situation, it may be advantageous to opt to use a synonym for the emoticon OwO instead of the emoticon itself. Synonyms can also be useful if people are unfamiliar with emoticons, if you want to expand your vocabulary, or if you want to avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms that one can use in palace of the emoticon OwO is provided by Thesaurus.
- surprised
- excited
- amazed
- taken aback
- bewildered
- astonished
- shocked
- stunned
- astounded
- blown away
- overwhelmed
- stupefied
- boggled
- floored
- excited
- transported
- jubilant
- in high spirits
- aroused
- looking good
- fired up
- elevated
- gleeful
- set up
- intoxicated
- blissful
- on cloud nine
- roused
- flying high
- exhilarated
- proud
- exalted
- joyful
- in seventh heaven
- joyous
- exultant
- high
- enchanted
- overjoyed
- in heaven
- turned-on
- hopped up
- animated
- flying
- euphoric
- cheered
- delighted
- puffed up
- enraptured
- ecstatic
Overall, the term OWO is usually an emoticon that is used to express happy surprise or excitement. This term can also be written as owo or OwO. The o’d are meant to represent wide eyes and the W is meant to represent a happy mouth. This emoticon is often used on social media, via an instant messenger, or via SMS text messages. It is a great, cute way to communicate happy surprise to your friends and family,but you should steer clear of using it in professional or formal situations.
Sources:
- https://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/OWO#:~:text=Definition,Tungsten%20Dioxide%20(chemcial%20compound)
- https://7esl.com/owo/
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/owo#:~:text=or%20OwO%20(%CB%88%C9%99%CA%8Aw%C9%99%CA%8A),text%20messaging%20and%20social%20media
- https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/uwu/
- https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/surprised?s=t
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
