vow
Americannoun
-
vows
plural
-
a solemn promise, pledge, or personal commitment.
marriage vows; a vow of secrecy.
-
a solemn promise made to a deity or saint committing oneself to an act, service, or condition.
-
a solemn or earnest declaration.
verb (used with object)
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vows,
present (3rd person singular)
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vowed,
past participle, past
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vowing
present participle
-
to make a vow of; promise by a vow, as to God or a saint.
to vow a crusade or a pilgrimage.
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to pledge or resolve solemnly to do, make, give, observe, etc..
They vowed revenge.
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to declare solemnly or earnestly; assert emphatically (often followed by a clause as object).
She vowed that she would take the matter to court.
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to dedicate or devote by a vow.
to vow oneself to the service of God.
verb (used without object)
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vows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
vowed,
past participle, past
-
vowing
present participle
-
to make a vow.
-
to make a solemn or earnest declaration.
idioms
noun
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a solemn or earnest pledge or promise binding the person making it to perform a specified act or behave in a certain way
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a solemn promise made to a deity or saint, by which the promiser pledges himself to some future act, course of action, or way of life
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to enter a religious order and commit oneself to its rule of life by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, which may be taken for a limited period as simple vows or as a perpetual and still more solemn commitment as solemn vows
verb
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(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to pledge, promise, or undertake solemnly
he vowed that he would continue
he vowed to return
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(tr) to dedicate or consecrate to God, a deity, or a saint
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(tr; usually takes a clause as object) to assert or swear emphatically
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archaic (intr) to declare solemnly
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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vowsimple
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vowssimple
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have vowedperfect
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has vowedperfect
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am vowingprogressive
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are vowingprogressive
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is vowingprogressive
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have been vowingperfect progressive
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has been vowingperfect progressive
Past
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vowedsimple
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had vowedperfect
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was vowingprogressive
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were vowingprogressive
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had been vowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of vow
1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French vo ( u ) < Latin vōtum, neuter of vōtus, past participle of vovēre to vow
Explanation
To vow is to make an earnest promise or pledge. People getting married often vow to stick together “till death do us part,” while a presidential candidate might vow to lower taxes. You can use vow as both a noun and a verb: A vow is a solemn declaration; to vow is the act of making that promise. Vows are meant to be serious, sacred things, even vows made with the best intentions can be broken. Wrote American short-story writer and poet Dorothy Parker, “By the time you swear you are his, shivering and sighing, And he vows his passion is infinite and undying—Lady, make a note of this: One of you is lying.”
Vocabulary lists containing vow
Beowulf vocabulary
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Mardi Gras: Faith
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The Lemonade War
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"What the hol, PM?" asks the front page of the Sun, suggesting the move is at odds with the prime minister's vow to help with cost of living.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
“Never Forget” has become the vow of 9/11 remembrance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
"Along with our vow to renounce war, I reaffirmed our determination to continue fulfilling our responsibility to uphold Japan's postwar path as a peaceful nation," he added.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
“All current ticket holders for LA Jazz Festival events will be refunded in full within 30 days. We apologize deeply for this situation and vow to make this right over time.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
“So what happens if one of you breaks the vow? Like if Aurora flew off and left you in danger,” asked Gregor.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
The couple exchanged vows on Friday, May 22, on a private island in the Bahamas.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
The insider further revealed that the lovers spent 20 minutes exchanging their handwritten vows, and that they handed out custom handkerchiefs, embroidered with a “TT” and lyrics from Swift’s 2014 song “Blank Space.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
Parton and Dean were rarely seen in public together, and renewed vows in 2016.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
After struggling in the 200m earlier this summer, Hunt said she was ready for a "renewal of our vows" in the event.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
I swore no vows to Hizdahr zo Loraq.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Beatty has vowed to continue her legal fight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
He vowed the government would take a "public health preventative approach" to tackle violence against women and push for stronger regulations of social media sites.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Shortly after taking the job, according to Perez, diGenova vowed that he could bring charges in 30 days.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
But Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, vowed to make accountability her goal as the board moves forward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
She vowed that he would not evade her company so easily the next time he came.
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
The remaining characters then sing an extremely brief ensemble vowing to resist the power of Rome.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
After initially vowing to fight NBA sanctions, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announced Sunday the team will comply with the league ruling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
The sudden loss has ripped at the heart of Santa Clarita, with officials already vowing to rebuild.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
It is the first such ruling under Syria's transitional leaders who ousted Assad in December 2024, vowing to provide justice and accountability for crimes committed under his rule.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
I had hoped that the group might stay together forever, but within ten minutes it was all over, finished, with each of us vowing to perform only our own work.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
