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• woo woo
  woo woo

  noun

  any force, phenomenon, process, etc., that has no clear scientific explanation and is regarded by some as mystical or spiritual and by others as illusory or fraudulent.
• woo-woo
  woo-woo

  adjective

  based on or involving irrational superstition

woo woo

American  

[woo-woo] / ˈwuˈwu /

Or woo-woo

noun

1. any force, phenomenon, process, etc., that has no clear scientific explanation and is regarded by some as mystical or spiritual and by others as illusory or fraudulent.

   I’m hesitating about this alternative therapy, because so far it’s just woo woo and not really provable.

   Higher-frequency thoughts like gratitude or love raise your frequency and lift you up—if that’s not too much woo-woo for you.

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adjective

1. relating to a force, phenomenon, process, etc., that has no clear scientific explanation and is regarded by some as mystical or spiritual and by others as illusory or fraudulent.

   I know it sounds very woo woo, but as I wrote the song I felt the presence and inspiration of my late grandfather so powerfully it gave me the shivers.

   I did my best to refute the worst woo-woo pseudoscience in the blog, but it was difficult.

woo-woo British  

/ ˈwuːˌwuː /

adjective

1. derogatory based on or involving irrational superstition

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Etymology

Origin of woo woo

First recorded in 1970–75; of imitative origin

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

woo woo woo-woo

Not in my favor: I cannot abide hippie culture, bristle at the slightest whiff of woo woo and balk reflexively at the phrase “loving kindness,” which immediately calls to mind the worst person I know.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

Kondo has, at other points shortly after her first Netflix series in 2019, been called a "monster," and her methods written off as "woo woo nonsense."

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2021

She’s been accused of peddling pseudoscience and being out of touch with the needs of regular women, of building a multimedia empire on overpriced, even dangerous, woo woo.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2020

Doesn't sound so woo woo, pretentious or superficial to me.

From New York Times ● Dec. 4, 2017

Isn't it cold, Woo, woo, woo, oo, oo,   Behold the man that couldn't get warm.

From Charles Dickens and Music by James T. Lightwood

They see the show as something for an audience that may feel put off by fringe ideas or the more woo-woo trappings of their competitors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Somewhere in the middle of that woo-woo spectrum lies the work of Carlos Castaneda.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

“I don’t think I’m super woo-woo, but I had this really strong sense and feeling.”

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026

At their most harmful, they encourage desperate people with debilitating or life-threatening medical conditions to turn away from legitimate medical science and possibly spend fortunes on useless woo-woo junk.

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2025

I’m not one of those woo-woo people or a wack job.

From "Lawn Boy" by Gary Paulsen

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