lo and behold
English
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lo and behold
Where it comes from
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.
interjection
- Used to express surprise. Here was I sat down, full of Love and Respect to write my dearest Friends a dutiful and loving letter, when lo, and behold! I was made happy by the receipt of yours.
Translations
Every language
intj used to express surprise
| Español | ¡y quién lo iba a decir!, ¡que sorpresa! |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 자, 보시라 ja, bosira |
| 日本語 | 見よ miyo, 驚くべきことに odoroku beki kotoni |
| 中文 | 你瞧瞧 nǐ qiáo qiáo, 你瞧 nǐ qiáo |
| हिन्दी | देखो और अवलोकन करो dekho aur avlokan karo, देखो एवं अवलोकन करो dekho evã avlokan karo |
| Português | veja só |
| Français | et voilà !, tiens, tiens !, voilà-t-il pas |
| Deutsch | siehe da!, schau mal an! |
| Italiano | guarda caso |
| Română | ia te uită |
| Русский | вот те на́ vot te ná, смотри́-ка smotrí-ka, глядь gljadʹ, о чу́до o čúdo, вот чудеса́ vot čudesá |
| العربية | يَا لَلْعَجَبِ yā lalʕajabi |
| עברית | והפלא ופלא vehafele vafele |
Talk about this word "lo and behold." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lo%20and%20behold. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. lo and behold. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lo%20and%20behold "lo and behold." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lo%20and%20behold.Cite this
@misc{lo_and_behold_2026,
title = {lo and behold},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lo%20and%20behold},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
