α. 1800s– woomph, 1900s– whoomff, 1900s– whoompf, 1900s– whoomph, 1900s– woomf.
β. 1900s– whoomp.
whoomphn.int.
/wʊm(p)f/, /hwʊm(p)f/, /wuːm(p)f/, /hwuːm(p)f/, /wʊmp/, /hwʊmp/, /wuːmp/, /hwuːmp/, U.S. /(h)wʊm(p)f/, /(h)wum(p)f/, /(h)wʊmp/, /(h)wump/ A. n.
A sudden, violent rushing sound; a forceful thudding sound.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > sudden or violent sound > [noun]
peal1535
thud1535
bouncing1598
ran-tan1607
sulphur?1611
bursta1616
stound1627
randana1661
break1751
flare1815
slam-banging1823
bang1854
spang1883
whoomph1891
ka-boom1965
zap1984
α.
β. 1918 Daily News (Perth, Austral.) 6 Nov. 5/8 I even found myself almost yearning for the harsh shriek and whoomp! of a German shell to break the monotony.1944 Washington Post 26 Aug. The fly bomb comes nearer..there is the unpleasant sensation of waiting when the engine cuts out, a whoomp and a guess where it was this time.1990 Sci. Amer. (U.K. ed.) July 66/1 A distant, muffled ‘whoomp’ resounds, and a trail of yellow-orange sparks tumbles into the night sky.2018 Anniston (Alabama) Star 22 Apr. Down in the basement, the gas furnace turned on with a whoomp.1891 Manch. Courier 4 July (Express Train-Special ed.) 10/5 They [sc. the seals] fought in perfect silence; the only sound to which they gave utterance being the explosive woomph with which they let the air escape from their lungs as they rose to the surface.
1955 Earl Winterton Fifty Tumultuous Years 82 Two old gentlemen were dozing in their chairs when the ‘Woomph’, ‘Boomph’ of a bomb simultaneously woke them up.
1979 R. Fiennes Hell on Ice ix. 144 There was a sudden woomf as the fumes and the liquid ignited.
2017 Age (Melbourne) (Nexis) 13 Jan. (Opinion section) 16 Flames crackled through wattle and blackberry thickets; gum trees exploded with a woomph.
B. int.
Representing a sudden, violent rushing sound; representing a forceful thudding sound.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > resonance or sonority > deep resonant sound > [noun]
boom?a1500
croona1522
booming1774
bong1855
whoom1875
whoomph1900
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > resonance or sonority > deep resonant sound > [interjection]
boom1827
whoomph1900
α.
β. 1911 H. W. Phillips in Harper's Monthly Mag. Jan. 271/1 ‘Whoomp!’ said the ten-bore again.1968 J. Archer Red Rebel vi. 76 German planes suddenly screamed low overhead, dropping a stick of bombs. Whoomp!1993 ‘Tag Team’ (title of song) Whoomp! (There it is).2017 Edmonton (Alberta) Jrnl. (Nexis) 4 May a1 Then came a run of four water bombers, which dropped their payload. Whoomp! Whoomp! Whoomp! Whoomp! At once the spot fires became more manageable.1900 G. M. Fenn in Chums 26 Sept. 86/1 ‘Woomph!’ came from below. A terrific roar, almost accompanied by a heavy blow upon Mayne's back.
1909 Evening Bull. (Honolulu) 1 Feb. 10/2 They [sc. the punches] sounded like a well-kicked football banging against a wall—whoomph!
1962 John o' London's 6 Dec. 527/2 The whole place goes up in flames.., whoomph.
1982 S. Brett Murder Unprompted xiv. 133 He threw a cushion, which went woomph into the side of Charles's head.
1983 J. Mann No Man's Island xi. 145 Check for gas leaks. Light a match and—whoomph.
2018 MailOnline (Nexis) 3 Apr. There was the most thunderous roar. I looked up and, whoomph, a big silver jet roared by.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2021; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.int.1891