waaa

Waaa is an onomatopoeic representation of a cry or wail used in English-language comics, animation, and online culture. The term imitates the sound of distress, fear, or crying, and is often elongated to convey intensity. Variants include waaaah, waaah, and similar spellings, with the number of vowels signaling duration or emphasis. While largely associated with English text, similar sound-symbols appear in other languages and media.

In print and digital media, waaa typically appears in speech balloons, captions, or meme formats to indicate a character’s emotional reaction. It is common in children's media for exaggerated expression and in humor or parody online, where users imitate or mock overly dramatic responses. The form is also used in fan-created art and comics to quickly communicate mood without dialogue.

Linguistic notes: waaa is not standardized orthography; its spelling varies by author, audience, and platform. It belongs to a broader category of onomatopoeia and interjections that readers interpret as emotional cues. Close relatives include shorter forms like wah or wa, which denote similarly expressive cries but with different connotations or intensity.

See also: Onomatopoeia; Crying in media; Meme culture.