Synonyms

pooh-pooh

American

[poo-poo] / ˈpuˈpu /

verb (used with object)

to express disdain or contempt for; dismiss lightly.

He pooh-poohed all their superstitious fears.

verb (used without object)

to express disdain or contempt.

pooh-pooh British

/ ˈpuːˈpuː /

verb

(tr) to express disdain or scorn for; dismiss or belittle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

pooh-pooher noun

Etymology

Origin of pooh-pooh

First recorded in 1820–30; v. use of reduplication of pooh ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Many pooh-pooh 2 by 6 walls and urge you to build two separate 2 by 4 walls, separated by an inch or so.

From Seattle Times

Try as the studios might to pooh-pooh the possibility of artificial intelligence taking over work formerly done by writers and actors, their own high-level AI-related job postings give them away.

From Los Angeles Times

I think we all pooh-pooh broadcast these days, but I am the showrunner I am because of broadcast, without a doubt.

From New York Times

When we pooh-pooh the subjective, the love of the fans, we are giving power to people that already have it.

From Los Angeles Times

The towels inside wave with enough frenzy that you might think bygone generations that used to pooh-pooh women’s sports deserve a fresh lampooning.

From Washington Post

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023