woo
Americanverb (used with object)
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to seek the favor, affection, or love of, especially with a view to marriage.
-
to seek to win.
to woo fame.
- Synonyms:
- cultivate
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to invite (consequences, whether good or bad) by one's own action; court.
to woo one's own destruction.
-
to seek to persuade (a person, group, etc.), as to do something; solicit; importune.
verb (used without object)
-
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.
verb
-
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
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(tr) to bring upon oneself (good or evil results) by one's own action
-
(tr) to beg or importune (someone)
Other Word Forms
- unwooed adjective
- wooer noun
- wooing noun
- wooingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of woo
First recorded before 1050; Middle English wowe, Old English wōgian; ultimate origin uncertain
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.
Beijing has also intensified its focus on emerging markets in Africa – and been wooed by the likes of Canada.
From BBC
"But I have never seen Oli so stressed," he said, noting that this time, unusually, he is going door-to-door to woo voters.
From Barron's
Campaign banners and party flags are already being strung up in towns, with a string of rallies planned as candidates seek to woo voters.
From Barron's
His massive social and economic development plan, called Vision 2030, aims to brighten Saudi Arabia’s global image, woo international tourists and high-skilled expatriates from the West and wean the kingdom off its reliance on petrodollars.
Despite public vows to keep kids under 13 from using its product, internal Instagram documents shown in court Monday morning depicted aggressive efforts to woo children much younger.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
