vow

[ vou ]

/ vaʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR vow ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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)

to make a vow of; promise by a vow, as to God or a saint: to vow a crusade or a pilgrimage.

to pledge or resolve solemnly to do, make, give, observe, etc.: They vowed revenge.

to declare solemnly or earnestly; assert emphatically (often followed by a clause as object): She vowed that she would take the matter to court.

to dedicate or devote by a vow: to vow oneself to the service of God.

verb (used without object)

to make a vow.

to make a solemn or earnest declaration.

Nearby words

voucher system, vouchsafe, vouge, voussoir, vouvray, vow, vowel, vowel gradation, vowel harmony, vowel mutation, vowel point

Idioms

take vows, to enter a religious order or house.

Origin of vow

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

Related formsvow·er, nounvow·less, adjectiveun·vowed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for vowed

Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She vowed to repay the money—no official word, however, on whether she ever did that.
Fergie Dives Into Prince Andrew’s Sex Scandal|Tom Sykes|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Bohac vowed to that when he came back next year there would be no confusion about any Christmas tree or Santa aprons.
A Field General in the War on Christmas|David Freedlander|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So was the importance of protest itself, which he vowed to protect from the heavy-handed policies employed by his predecessors.
Eric Garner Protesters Have a Direct Line to City Hall|Jacob Siegel|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The company lawyer promised to deliver the RFI to executives and vowed to help schedule a meeting.
Can God Beat the NRA?|Dean Obeidallah|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He vowed that merely to walk over ploughed ground made a man stronger.
The Mountain Girl|Payne Erskine
Oh, I only vowed that, however pressed to marry, I would refuse.
Love's Usuries|Louis Creswicke
He had vowed to stay in bed till Fortune should visit him, and stay he would.
Our Little Turkish Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
He had declared war against Bence; henceforth, he vowed, the tit-for-tat policy should be pursued with implacable thoroughness.
Mrs. Thompson|William Babington Maxwell
Trompe-la-Mort sneaked their chips, and I know that they have vowed to be the death of him.
Scenes from a Courtesan's Life|Honore de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for vowed

vow

/ (vaʊ) /

noun

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

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

take vows 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

(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to pledge, promise, or undertake solemnlyhe vowed that he would continue; he vowed to return

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

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

(intr) archaic to declare solemnly

Derived Formsvower, nounvowless, adjective

Word Origin for vow

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

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

Word Origin and History for vowed (1 of 2)

vow

c.1300, from Old French vouer, from vou (see vow (n.)). Related: Vowed; vowing.

Word Origin and History for vowed (1 of 2)

vow

c.1300, from Anglo-French and Old French vou, from Latin votum "a vow, wish, promise, dedication," noun use of neuter of votus, past participle of vovere "to promise solemnly, pledge, dedicate, vow," from PIE root *ewegwh- "to speak solemnly, vow" (cf. Sanskrit vaghat- "one who offers a sacrifice;" Greek eukhe "vow, wish," eukhomai "I pray").

vow

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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Origin of vow

Examples from the Web for vowed

British Dictionary definitions for vowed

vow

noun

verb

Word Origin for vow

Word Origin and History for vowed (1 of 2)

vow

Word Origin and History for vowed (1 of 2)

vow