13 Other Ways To Say “Oh My God” If You Are Not Religious

“God” is a religious concept, so it’s not surprising that many people think “oh my God” is a religious exclamation. While this isn’t strictly the case, we thought it would be good to share some non-religious alternatives in this article that might be better suited to you.

What Can I Say Instead Of “Oh My God”?

There are plenty of exclamations we can use in place of “oh my god.” You might like to try out one of the following:

• OMG
• Oh my goodness
• Oh my word
• Oh my days
• Oh my life
• Oh my
• Oh my gosh
• Blimey
• Crikey
• Oh no
• Oh dear
• Goodness gracious me
• Wow!

The preferred version is “OMG” or “oh my goodness.” We can use both when we want to make a surprising exclamation about something. “OMG” is an abbreviation that takes “god” out of the original meaning, while “oh my goodness” is another way of using it.

OMG

“OMG” is the most common replacement for “oh my god.” It’s the abbreviation, which was commonly adopted in text format. However, we can use it in many informal written cases today, and everyone understands what the letters stand for.

Even though “OMG” stands for “oh my god,” no one cares about the religious intention behind the original meaning. The abbreviation has become its own phrase, which steers clear of the original meaning.

It’s less offensive to most religious people when you use the abbreviation, which is why we recommend it as the best option.

These examples will help you to make more sense of it:

• OMG! I didn’t think he’d go through with it!
• OMG! Can you believe the things she said about you in class?
• OMG! How could you have even thought something like that?

Oh My Goodness

“Oh, my goodness” is a fairly common phrase people use to replace “oh my god.” There are no religious connections to the word “goodness,” which is why it can work well. It still shows that we are overly surprised or taken aback by a situation.

Here are some examples of how it might work:

• Oh, my goodness! If I had only known you were here, I would have made myself decent.
• Oh, my goodness! That’s actually the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done.
• Oh, my goodness! Please accept my sincerest apologies.

Oh My Word

“Oh, my word” is a common exclamation made by native speakers. We use “word” to replace “god” because it helps to take away the religious connections. Also, it’s another great way of showing surprise in any situation (both positive and negative).

We use “word” because it implies that we have no other words to give. Often, when something has completely caught us off-guard, and we do not know what to say, we could use “oh my word.”

It’s like saying you are “speechless” and have nothing better to say to the person you’re talking to.

Here are a few examples of how “oh, my word” works:

• Oh, my word! I was not expecting to come into the office and see you doing that today.
• Oh, my word. Why did either of you think that was a smart plan?
• Oh, my word. I can’t say I’m too pleased with the situation, but at least you came clean about it.

Oh My Days

“Oh, my days” is a common slang phrase most younger people use when expressing surprise. It works because they use “days” to mean that they haven’t seen anything quite as surprising as this in all of their “days,” and nothing can compare to it.

These examples will show you how it works:

• Oh, my days! That’s actually so strange! I didn’t think he’d do it.
• Oh, my days! Can you be any more annoying than you’re being right now?
• Oh, my days! Why did we have to come here to see that?

Oh My Life

“Oh, my life” is another common slang phrase that people use. It’s most common for youths. They say “oh, my life” when they can’t believe the news or actions they are witnessing, and “life” means that nothing else has compared to this moment before.

Here are some ways it can work:

• Oh, my life! I didn’t think you’d actually go through with it, mate!
• Oh, my life! That’s insane! Please don’t ever do something so foolish again!
• Oh, my life! I thought you were joking, but you actually did it!

Oh My

“Oh my” works because we remove “god” entirely from the phrase. It’s not quite as powerful as some of the other options, but we can use it when we want to show our surprise. Often, “oh my” only works with minor surprises.

These examples will help you to use it:

• Oh my! I am so sorry! Please forgive my intrusion.
• Oh my! That’s quite an impressive set if I ever did see one.
• Oh my! What a crying shame! I’ll leave immediately.

Oh My Gosh

“Oh my gosh” is another good replacement for “oh my god.” We can remove the religious connotations this time by using “gosh.” It’s a simple utterance that has nothing to do with religious texts, and it still shows that we are overwhelmed with surprise.

These examples will help you to make a little more sense of it:

• Oh my gosh! I didn’t think you’d be here doing that right now!
• Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! Please pretend like I wasn’t here, sir.
• Oh my gosh! I have to complete this project by what time?!

Blimey

“Blimey” is a humorous word we can use when showing surprise. It comes from British English, and it’s a slang term used to show that we don’t have any better words to describe our astonishment. It’s actually a very popular choice for most British speakers.

Here are some great examples of it in action:

• Blimey! I was not expecting him to sound like that when I saw him.
• Blimey! If only I was there when that happened! Maybe I could have made some money too!
• Blimey! They say you see something new every day.

Crikey

“Crikey” is another humorous phrase we can use to show our surprise. This time, it comes from Australian English, and it’s a common slang phrase that shows someone is taken aback by some information or the actions of another person.

These examples will help you to make more sense of it:

• Crikey! I can’t say I saw that one coming!
• Crikey! I’ve never seen a bloke walk into a bar looking like that before!
• Crikey! I didn’t think you were going to make it across, mate!

Oh No

“Oh no” is a great way to show both disappointment and surprise. It mostly works negatively compared to some of the other options above this. It means that something has surprised us, but we did not want the outcome to end the way it did.

These examples will help you to understand it better:

• Oh no! What made you think that was a smart decision?
• Oh no! Why would you say something like that?
• Oh no! Why did you have to be here today of all the days?

Oh Dear

“Oh dear” is a good way of showing that we are surprised or disappointed. It works when something has caught our attention, but not usually in a positive way. This shows that we are disappointed by whatever is happening.

Here are some examples:

• Oh, dear! I did not think it would have to come to this.
• Oh, dear! I can’t believe you thought that was a wise decision.
• Oh, dear! How could you think to say something so brutal to your own mother?

Goodness Gracious Me

“Goodness gracious me” is a classic way of sharing surprise. It’s not common today, but people still use it when they want to sound jovial. It’s definitely one of the more humorous options on this list because people use it mockingly.

Here are some great ways to see it in action:

• Goodness gracious me! I can’t believe he scoffed that entire cake down in one.
• Goodness gracious me! I actually didn’t think you’d go through with it at all.
• Goodness gracious me! I’ve never seen someone with the audacity to do that before!

Wow!

“Wow” is another great way to show our disbelief about something. It works well in many cases, and lots of people use it because it’s a simple, one-word response. You can use it when you simply do not have other words to say.

Here are some great examples:

• Wow! I certainly was not expecting that to be the case!
• Wow! I’d be lying if I said I saw that coming.
• Wow! You can’t go around acting like that in front of other people!

Is It Rude To Say “Oh My God”?

It is not rude to say “oh my god” in many cases. It works well when you are surprised by something. However, if you talk to religious people, they might believe it’s rude and sinful to “take the Lord’s name in vain.” It’s best not to use it with them.

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