zounds, int.

zounds
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zounds_int%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1921; not fully revised

# zoundsinterjection

## Earlier version

- zounds, int. in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the interjection zounds mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the interjection zounds. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

#### Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

### How common is the interjection zounds?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1760 | 0.036
1770 | 0.046
1780 | 0.05
1790 | 0.055
1800 | 0.059
1810 | 0.059
1820 | 0.058
1830 | 0.055
1840 | 0.047
1850 | 0.041
1860 | 0.035
1870 | 0.036
1880 | 0.033
1890 | 0.031
1900 | 0.028
1910 | 0.025
1920 | 0.023
1930 | 0.018
1940 | 0.013
1950 | 0.012
1960 | 0.0095
1970 | 0.0083
1980 | 0.0079
1990 | 0.0076
2000 | 0.0065
2010 | 0.0063

### How is the interjection zounds pronounced?

#### British English

/zaʊndz/
zowndz
/zuːndz/
zoondz

#### U.S. English

/zaʊndz/
zowndz

### Where does the interjection zounds come from?

Earliest known use

late 1500s

The earliest known use of the interjection zounds is in the late 1500s.

OED's earliest evidence for zounds is from before 1593, in the writing of Christopher Marlowe, playwright and poet.

zounds is formed within English, by clipping or shortening.

Etymons: God's wounds int. at god n. & int. Phrases P.3b.i

### Nearby entries

1. Zoroastrism, n. 1819–
2. zorrino, n. 1885–
3. zorro, n. 1838–
4. zos-grass, n. 1937–
5. zoster, n. 1601–
6. zostera, n. 1819–
7. zosterops, n. 1867–
8. Zouave, n. 1848–
9. zouk, n. 1986–
10. zounds, v. 1680
11. zounds, int.a1593–
12. Zou-Zou, n. 1860–
13. zowie, int. 1902–
14. zoysia, n. 1965–
15. ZPG, n. 1970–
16. Zr, n. 1814–
17. zubr, n. 1763–
18. zubrowka, n. 1916–
19. zucarine, adj. a1425
20. zucca, n. 1818–
21. zucchetto, n. 1853–

## Etymology

### Summary

Formed within English, by clipping or shortening.
Etymon: God's wounds int. at god n. & int. Phrases P.3b.i
Shortened as a euphemism < God's wounds int. at god n. & int. Phrases P.3b.i.

## Meaning & use

Now rare or Obsolete. In later use a literary archaism.

1. a1593–
   = God's wounds int. at god n. & int. Phrases P.3b.i, used in oaths and asseverations.
   1. a1593

      > Zounds hee'l raise vp a kennell of Diuels.

      C. Marlowe, Tragicall History Faustus (1616) sig. E4v
   2. a1593

      > 'Zons, hornes againe.

      C. Marlowe, Tragicall History Faustus (1616) sig. F3
   3. 1600

      > One comes sweating, zoones Cobler the bootes.

      R. Armin, Foole vpon Foole sig. F3
   4. 1600

      > If any fall together by the eares, To field cries he; why? zownes (to field) he sweares.

      S. Rowlands, Letting of Humors Blood Sat. v. 72
   5. 1607

      > Zwounds I was talking with a crue of vagabonds.

      T. Dekker & J. Webster, Famous History of Thomas Wyat sig. E4
   6. 1614

      > Spend. M. Rash! zownds how does he know I am here?

      J. Cooke, Greenes Tu Quoque C 2
   7. a1616

      > Zounds, I was neuer so bethumpt with words.

      W. Shakespeare, King John (1623) ii. i. 467
   8. 1682

      > Dzowns, we'l have none but honest Souls.

      Tories' Conf. in Roxburghe Ballads (1882) vol. IV. 269
   9. 1699

      > Zoons is only us'd by the disbanded Officers and Bullies: but Zauns is the Beaux pronuncation [sic].

      G. Farquhar, Love & Bottle ii. ii. 16
   10. 1712

       > 'Dswounds! why dost thou not lay out thy Money to purchase a Place at Court..?

       J. Arbuthnot, John Bull Still in Senses ix. 42
   11. 1739

       > Zoons, Sir, said an old Campaigner..who's that?

       Joe Miller's Jests 3
   12. 1809

       > Syntax look'd wild—the man said ‘Zounds! You know you betted twenty pounds.’

       W. Combe, Schoolmaster's Tour in Poetical Magazine November 150
   13. 1821

       > Zoons! said we, deranging the economy of our grey hairs.

       Sporting Magazine (N.S.) vol. VII. 180
   14. 1846

       > Zounds, Charles, I love you, and that's the truth.

       E. Bulwer-Lytton, Lucretia vol. I. i. i. 38
   15. 1883

       > Forgiven me! Zounds! I must correct him in that.

       Fortnightly Review July 111
   1. God's wounds c1460–
   2. kocks nownes a1556–89
      = God's wounds int. at god, n. & int.phrases P.3b.i.
   3. nouns a1556–1822
      Expressing surprise, astonishment, etc. Also (occasionally) as n.: wounds. Cf. wounds, int.
   4. God's bores 1578–1622
   5. swounds?1589–1884
      = God's wounds int. at god, n. & int.phrases P.3b.i, used in oaths and asseverations.
   6. zounds a1593–
      = God's wounds int. at god, n. & int.phrases P.3b.i, used in oaths and asseverations.
   7. oons 1593–
      An exclamation of anger, surprise, etc.; = zounds, int.
   8. 'Snowns 1594
      (See nouns, int. and od, n.¹ & int.)
   9. wounds 1600–
      = God's wounds; used as an oath or asseveration.
   10. od's nouns a1616–1816
   11. Gad's nouns 1677–1765
   12. odsoons 1694–1889
   13. od zounds 1696–
   14. zines?1701–10
       Used to assert something emphatically, or to express surprise, indignation, etc. Cf. zounds, int.
   15. swolks 1738–
       Probably: = swounds, int.
   16. zoonters a1763–
       Used as an oath or exclamation expressing asseveration, surprise, etc. Cf. zounds, int., Zooks, int., Zookers, int.
   17. od's wounds 1773–1889
   18. Gadswoons 1826
   19. woundikins 1836–
       A variant (with diminutive ending) of wounds, int.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/zaʊndz/
zowndz
/zuːndz/
zoondz

### U.S. English

/zaʊndz/
zowndz

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Forms

### Variant forms

1500s zownes, 1600s zoones, 'zons, zons, zonnes (?), dzowns, zownds, zwounds, zauns, 1600s–1700s 'zoons, 1600s–1800s zoons, 1700s 'dswounds, 1600s– zounds. (Cf. zines int.)

## Frequency

zounds typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.

zounds is in frequency band 2, which contains words occurring between 0.001 and 0.01 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zounds, int., 1760–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1760 | 0.036
1770 | 0.046
1780 | 0.05
1790 | 0.055
1800 | 0.059
1810 | 0.059
1820 | 0.058
1830 | 0.055
1840 | 0.047
1850 | 0.041
1860 | 0.035
1870 | 0.036
1880 | 0.033
1890 | 0.031
1900 | 0.028
1910 | 0.025
1920 | 0.023
1930 | 0.018
1940 | 0.013
1950 | 0.012
1960 | 0.0095
1970 | 0.0083
1980 | 0.0079
1990 | 0.0076
2000 | 0.0065
2010 | 0.0063

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. zounds, v. 1680
   (intransitive) to exclaim ‘zounds’.

1. od zounds, int. 1696–

1. zines, int. ?1701–10
   Used to assert something emphatically, or to…

1. zoonters, int. a1763–
   Used as an oath or exclamation expressing…

zounds, int. was first published in 1921; not fully revised.

zounds, int. was last modified in June 2025.