An exclamation expressing disbelief, scorn, or dismissal of something.
An imitative word from around the 1600s, likely created to sound like a dismissive snort or breath sound. Similar dismissive exclamations appear across languages (like 'bah'), suggesting humans use the same sounds to express contempt.
'Pah!' is a sound before it's a word—it's what your mouth does when you're disgusted or dismissive. These exclamations show that language doesn't always come from logic; sometimes it's just our bodies' natural reactions that we've given spelling and meaning to.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.