woo
to seek the favor, affection, or love of, especially with a view to marriage.
to seek to win: to woo fame.
to seek the affection or love of someone, usually a woman; court: He was reminded of his youth when he went wooing.
to solicit favor or approval; entreat: Further attempts to woo proved useless.
Origin of woo
1Other words for woo
Other words from woo
- wooer, noun
- woo·ing·ly, adverb
- un·wooed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use woo in a sentence
He woos Alexandra, but he is rebuffed by her two older brothers, who distrust any man who has seen the world beyond Nebraska.
American Dreams: ‘O Pioneers!’ by Willa Cather | Nathaniel Rich | February 27, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTHe woos her with tales of his fraught relationship with Queen Isabella of Spain and his love of the open ocean.
Yet he woos her with the same devotion which a lover shows to his mistress.
American Sketches | Charles WhibleyHe that woos a maiden maun come seldom in her sight: he that woos a widow maun ply her day and night.
The Proverbs of Scotland | Alexander HislopThe bird woos its mate with the beauty of its plumage and the harmonious notes of its love-call.
Sex=The Unknown Quantity | Ali Nomad
Ilmarinen arrives at the homestead of Pohjola, woos the daughter of the house, and perilous tasks are assigned to him (1-32).
Kalevala, Volume I (of 2) | AnonymousHe woos and wins the daughter of a country clergyman, marries, and finds a young family growing up around him.
Crabbe, (George) | Alfred Ainger
British Dictionary definitions for woo
/ (wuː) /
to seek the affection, favour, or love of (a woman) with a view to marriage
(tr) to seek after zealously or hopefully: to woo fame
(tr) to bring upon oneself (good or evil results) by one's own action
(tr) to beg or importune (someone)
Origin of woo
1Derived 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
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.
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