- A mild exclamation expressing surprise, annoyance, frustration, exasperation, or sometimes sympathy.
- It's a minced oath, used to avoid saying Jesus.
Explanation
Origin
- Euphemistic shortening and alteration of Jesus. A way to express strong emotion without using a name considered sacred or potentially offensive. Emerged in the early 20th century.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Milder:
- Gosh / Golly
- Goodness / Goodness me
- My word
- Wow / Whoa
Similar Strength/Informal:
- Sheesh
- Man
- Yikes
- Oof
Stronger/Vulgar (Expressing similar emotions):
- Jesus! / Jesus Christ!
- Christ!
- Damn! / Goddamn!
- Fuck! / Fuck me! (Expressing strong surprise/frustration)
- Shit!
Situational Appropriateness
- Informal to semi-formal. It's generally acceptable in everyday conversation.
- As a minced oath, it's milder than saying Jesus or stronger curses, but might still be considered slightly inappropriate in very formal or religious settings by some.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Non-native speakers should understand it's a mild expression of emotion, not a literal reference.
- Tone is important; it can range from mild surprise to significant irritation.
Examples
- Surprise: Jeez, I didn't expect to see you here!
- Annoyance: Jeez, can you turn that music down?
- Frustration: Jeez, I can't get this thing to work!
- Exasperation: Geez, not this again.
- Sympathy: Jeez, that sounds rough.
Dialogue
Alex: My rent is going up by $200 next month.
Ben: Jeez! That's a huge increase.
Alex: Tell me about it. I don't know if I can afford it.
Ben: Geez, I'm sorry to hear that. That really sucks.
Social Media Examples
- Tweet: Jeez, the traffic this morning was insane! 🚗 #commute
- Comment: He really said that? Geez Louise. 🤦♀️
- Chat: My computer just bluescreened again. Jeez, not again!
Response Patterns
- Usually doesn't require a direct response. The listener understands it as an expression of the speaker's feelings.
- Depending on context, a listener might offer sympathy (I know, right?), agree (Tell me about it), or address the cause of annoyance (Okay, sorry, I'll turn it down).
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
- The speaker might follow up by elaborating on the cause of their surprise/annoyance (...I thought you were out of town!, ...I'm trying to concentrate!).
- The listener might ask What's wrong? or What happened? if the reason for the exclamation isn't clear.
Conversation Starter
- No. It's a reaction to something.
Intonation
- Often drawn out (Jeeeez) with a falling or rising-falling intonation, emphasizing the emotion.
- Can be sharp and quick for sudden annoyance (Jeez!).
- Stress is always on the single syllable.
Generation Differences
- Commonly used across most generations, though perhaps slightly more associated with older millennials and Gen X than the very youngest speakers, who might use Sheesh or other expressions more. Still very common overall.
Regional Variations
- Very common in American and Canadian English.
- Less common in British, Australian, or NZ English, where other mild exclamations like Blimey, Crikey, Gosh, or simply Oh God might be preferred, though Jeez is understood.