vow

[vou]

noun

1. a solemn promise, pledge, or personal commitment.

   marriage vows; a vow of secrecy.

2. a solemn promise made to a deity or saint committing oneself to an act, service, or condition.

3. a solemn or earnest declaration.

verb (used with object)

1. to make a vow of; promise by a vow, as to God or a saint.

   to vow a crusade or a pilgrimage.

2. to pledge or resolve solemnly to do, make, give, observe, etc..

   They vowed revenge.

3. to declare solemnly or earnestly; assert emphatically (often followed by a clause as object).

   She vowed that she would take the matter to court.

4. to dedicate or devote by a vow.

   to vow oneself to the service of God.

verb (used without object)

1. to make a vow.

2. to make a solemn or earnest declaration.

vow

/ vaʊ /

noun

1. a solemn or earnest pledge or promise binding the person making it to perform a specified act or behave in a certain way

2. 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

3. 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

1. (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

2. (tr) to dedicate or consecrate to God, a deity, or a saint

3. (tr; usually takes a clause as object) to assert or swear emphatically

4. archaic,  (intr) to declare solemnly

Other Word Forms

• vower noun
• vowless adjective
• unvowed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vow¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French vo ( u ) < Latin vōtum, neuter of vōtus, past participle of vovēre to vow

Word History and Origins

Origin of vow¹

C13: from Old French vou, from Latin vōtum a solemn promise, from vovēre to vow

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. take vows, to enter a religious order or house.

Example Sentences

Plus, after vowing to cut down on turnovers, Maiava had only thrown two interceptions over those six games, showcasing a much better grasp of the game and Riley’s offense.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Responding to Thursday's statistics, a Home Office spokesperson said there were fewer than 200 hotels in use as they vowed "to close every single one".

Read more on BBC

Among those supporters affected was season ticket holder Liam Phillips, 42, who vowed never to return to Marseille and "probably never go back to France to watch a game" after what he witnessed.

Read more on BBC

The European Union's industry chief vowed Wednesday to allow "flexibility" for the region's struggling auto sector, fuelling hopes the bloc could soften a planned 2035 ban on combustion-engine vehicle sales.

Read more on Barron's

Tuesday's mammoth session of parliament ended late in the evening in Rome with a final speech by a governing party MP vowing that violence against women "will not be tolerated, will not go unpunished."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• affirm 
• assure 
• declare 
• promise 
• swear