womp womp

English

Etymology

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.

Interjection

womp womp

1. (US, Canada, onomatopoeia, humorous) Used, sometimes mockingly, to indicate failure or disappointment.
   • 2017, Joe Clement, Matt Miles, Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse Is Making Our Kids Dumber, page 227:

     However, this fad quickly faded when people realized this technology (sad trombone: womp, womp) . . . well, it didn't work.

   • 2019 November, Vonetta Logan, “Future Shtick”, in Luckbox, page 11:

     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.

   • 2020, Meredith Hardie, "Back To Basics", Foodism, Summer 2020, page 39:

     Bread: 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).

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:womp womp.

Synonyms

• wah-wah
• sad trombone