woo

American  

[woo] / wu /

verb (used with object)

woos, present (3rd person singular) wooed, past participle, past wooing present participle

1. to seek the favor, affection, or love of, especially with a view to marriage.

   Synonyms:

   chase, pursue, court

2. to seek to win.

   to woo fame.

   Synonyms:

   cultivate

3. to invite (consequences, whether good or bad) by one's own action; court.

   to woo one's own destruction.

4. to seek to persuade (a person, group, etc.), as to do something; solicit; importune.

   Synonyms:

   entreat, address, sue, petition

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verb (used without object)

woos, present (3rd person singular) wooed, past participle, past wooing present participle

1. to seek the affection or love of someone, usually a woman; court.

   He was reminded of his youth when he went wooing.

2. to solicit favor or approval; entreat.

   Further attempts to woo proved useless.

woo British  

/ wuː /

verb

1. to seek the affection, favour, or love of (a woman) with a view to marriage

2. (tr) to seek after zealously or hopefully

   to woo fame

3. (tr) to bring upon oneself (good or evil results) by one's own action

4. (tr) to beg or importune (someone)

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woo Idioms  

1. see pitch woo.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wooer
  noun
• wooing
  noun
• unwooed
  adjective
• wooingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• wooing
  present
• wooed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• woo
  simple
• woos
  simple
• have wooed
  perfect
• has wooed
  perfect
• am wooing
  progressive
• are wooing
  progressive
• is wooing
  progressive
• have been wooing
  perfect progressive
• has been wooing
  perfect progressive

Past

• wooed
  simple
• had wooed
  perfect
• was wooing
  progressive
• were wooing
  progressive
• had been wooing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will woo
  simple
• will have wooed
  perfect
• will be wooing
  progressive
• will have been wooing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of woo

First recorded before 1050; Middle English wowe, Old English wōgian; ultimate origin uncertain

Explanation

When you woo someone, you are being charming because you think that it will make them love you more. You want to win their heart, so you woo them, you flirty dog you. Poetry is a great way to woo someone, because who could resist such beautiful words? Wooing requires a romantic heart and a lot of focused attention on the person you desire. But wooing isn’t always just done for love, and you can woo someone because you want their support, like when a rock band woos a record label to release their album, or wooing your grandmother because you need to borrow some money.

Example Sentences

The top candidates for California governor crisscrossed the state Friday, all venturing to friendly political territory to woo voters and undermine their rivals as the June 2 primary election fast approaches.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Already, Japan has offered nudges like expanding tax-exempt investment accounts to woo some of the $7 trillion, or half of Japanese households’ wealth, that has been parked in cash into equities.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

For five days every June, ad agencies try to out-splash one another in a rosé-fueled competition to woo advertisers at the Cannes Lions ad festival.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Britain's party leaders were out and about attempting to woo voters on the final full day of campaigning on Wednesday.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

To woo the children, the Mattie Mahony Association ran an excursion for them and their parents each summer.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Related Words

• cultivate
• pursue
• solicit