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)
-
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)
-
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
-
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
-
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:
Goldenvoice and the city vow to get it right.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
And the RSS and its network act as an accelerator for the BJP’s top talent: Mr. Modi began as a full-time RSS organizer, joining a cadre who vow to forgo marriage and personal wealth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
The Daily Express headlines on Burnham's vow to abstain in the assisted dying vote and remain neutral when the bill returns to the Commons.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 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
I had once vowed that I would never call her aunt again: I thought it no sin to forget and break that vow now.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Trump Jr. exchanged vows with socialite Bettina Anderson on a private island that was featured in “Pirates of the Caribbean” and the 2006 James Bond movie “Casino Royale.”
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
Larry Scott, who single-handedly destroyed the old Pac-12, now vows to work his “magic” on the tennis world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 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
He ended his vows saying: "Your honour shall become my honour, your home shall become my home."
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
She had invoked the Mother’s mercy, appealing to the natural sympathy of one woman for another, but the three shriveled septas must have put their womanhood aside when they spoke their vows.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
And now the women's children have vowed to keep in touch with each other.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Since he became Fed chairman in May, Warsh has vowed to corral inflation that has run above the Fed’s 2% target for more than five years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Lee vowed that the inaugural plan would uphold Hong Kong's capitalist system.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
Shortly after taking the job, according to Perez, diGenova vowed that he could bring charges in 30 days.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
They vowed to heal the sick, care for the injured, and give aid to the wretched and impoverished.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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 remaining characters then sing an extremely brief ensemble vowing to resist the power of Rome.
From The Wall Street Journal ● 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
Self-proclaimed experts online also sell advice vowing to help men "optimise" their physique.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
I lifted Lincoln’s Bible, and Barack placed his left hand on it, vowing to protect the U.S.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
