well, well, well

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Interjection

well, well, well

1. Indicating pondering or consideration, often with sarcasm or mock surprise.

   Well, well, well. What have we here?

   Well, well, well. Look who's back. And they said we'd never see him again.

   • 2003, J. K. Rowling, chapter 32, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:

     “Well, well, well!” said Umbridge, looking triumphant. “Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!”

Usage notes

• This form may be a little stronger, or more sarcastic, than well, well. Used sarcastically or with mock surprise, it often conveys that the speaker does not actually find the thing they are remarking on surprising, but rather they expected it. The phrase has been used by racists (commenting on a video, for example) as a way to say that they think a member of a group is acting in accordance with stereotypes of that group, when a more explicit comment might draw the attention of moderators.

Alternative forms

• well, well

Translations

indicating consideration

• Catalan: aviam, aviam, vaja, vaja
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 哦哟哟 (oyoyo), 行了，行了 (xíngle xíngle)

• Czech: ale, ale, ale
• Finnish: jaa-ha, kappas vain
• Greek: βρε, βρε, βρε (vre, vre, vre)
• Hungarian: nocsak, nocsak, nocsak
• Italian: bene, bene
• Polish: proszę (pl) (sometimes duplicated)
• Portuguese: ora, ora, ora
• Romanian: măi, măi, măi
• Russian: так-так (tak-tak)
• Spanish: vaya, vaya, vaya
• Swedish: men, men, men
• Uzbek: xo’sh-xo’sh

See also

• hmm