Phrase guide

lo and behold

intj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

intj

Meaning 1

Used to express surprise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1995, Robin Hobb, Assassin's Apprentice : The Farseer Trilogy Book 1, Del Rey Mass Market Edition, p. 117. And when Regal and I rode down to get it, lo and behold, it's from Patience, to tell us Chivalry's dead.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The lo in the expression probably originated from the shortening of the word look, commonly seen in Middle English texts. Its presence in literature can be traced to at least as early as the 18th century. The literal meaning of the expression is look and see, and it is always used as if in the imperative.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: يَا لَلْعَجَبِ (yā lalʕajabi) — used to express surprise
  • Catalan: ves per on! — used to express surprise
  • Chinese Mandarin: 你瞧瞧 (nǐ qiáo qiáo) — used to express surprise
  • Chinese Mandarin: 你瞧 (nǐ qiáo) — used to express surprise
  • Dutch: neen maar! — used to express surprise
  • Dutch: kijk eens! — used to express surprise
  • Finnish: kas kummaa — used to express surprise
  • French: et voilà ! — used to express surprise
  • French: tiens, tiens ! — used to express surprise
  • French: voilà-t-il pas — used to express surprise
  • German: siehe da! — used to express surprise
  • German: schau mal an! — used to express surprise
  • Greenlandic: sunaaffa! — used to express surprise
  • Hebrew: והפלא ופלא (vehafele vafele) — used to express surprise
  • Hindi: देखो और अवलोकन करो (dekho aur avlokan karo) — used to express surprise
  • Hindi: देखो एवं अवलोकन करो (dekho evã avlokan karo) — used to express surprise
  • Hungarian: íme — used to express surprise
  • Hungarian: lám — used to express surprise
  • Italian: guarda caso — used to express surprise
  • Japanese: 見よ (miyo) — used to express surprise
  • Japanese: 驚くべきことに (odoroku beki kotoni) — used to express surprise
  • Korean: 자, 보시라 (ja, bosira) — used to express surprise
  • Lithuanian: žiūrėk tu man — used to express surprise
  • Norwegian Bokmål: har du sett — used to express surprise
  • Polish: patrzcie! — used to express surprise
  • Portuguese: veja só — used to express surprise
  • Romanian: ia te uită — used to express surprise
  • Russian: вот те на́ (vot te ná) — used to express surprise
  • Russian: смотри́-ка (smotrí-ka) — used to express surprise
  • Russian: глядь (gljadʹ) — used to express surprise
  • Russian: о чу́до (o čúdo) — used to express surprise
  • Russian: вот чудеса́ (vot čudesá) — used to express surprise
  • Serbo-Croatian: i gle čuda! — used to express surprise
  • Spanish: ¡y quién lo iba a decir! — used to express surprise
  • Spanish: ¡que sorpresa! — used to express surprise
  • Swedish: hör och häpna — used to express surprise
  • Swedish: har du sett — used to express surprise
  • Swedish: se där — used to express surprise
  • Swedish: se på fan — used to express surprise
  • Turkish: bak sen — used to express surprise
  • Turkish: bak şu işe — used to express surprise