woo

[ woo ]
See synonyms for: woowooedwooingwooer on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to seek the favor, affection, or love of, especially with a view to marriage.

  2. to seek to win: to woo fame.

  1. to invite (consequences, whether good or bad) by one's own action; court: to woo one's own destruction.

  2. to seek to persuade (a person, group, etc.), as to do something; solicit; importune.

verb (used without object)
  1. to seek the affection or love of someone, usually a woman; court: He was reminded of his youth when he went wooing.

  2. to solicit favor or approval; entreat: Further attempts to woo proved useless.

Origin of woo

1
First recorded before 1050; Middle English wowe, Old English wōgian; ultimate origin uncertain

Other words for woo

Other words from woo

  • wooer, noun
  • woo·ing·ly, adverb
  • un·wooed, adjective

Words Nearby woo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use woo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for woo

woo

/ (wuː) /


verbwoos, wooing or wooed
  1. to seek the affection, favour, or love of (a woman) with a view to marriage

  2. (tr) to seek after zealously or hopefully: to woo fame

  1. (tr) to bring upon oneself (good or evil results) by one's own action

  2. (tr) to beg or importune (someone)

Origin of woo

1
Old English wōgian, of obscure origin

Derived forms of woo

  • wooer, noun
  • wooing, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with woo

woo

see pitch woo.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.