word-of-mouth

1 of 2

adjective

ˌwərd-ə(v)-ˈmau̇th 

: orally communicated

also : generated from or reliant on oral publicity

word-of-mouth customers

a word-of-mouth business

word of mouth

2 of 2

noun phrase

: oral communication

especially : oral often inadvertent publicity

Synonyms of word-of-mouth

Adjective

• oral
• verbal

Examples of word-of-mouth in a Sentence

Adjective

not having the money to run ads, the restaurant relies on word-of-mouth publicity

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

As interest in gardening with native plants grows, word-of-mouth is often how news of plant sources spreads. — Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2026

That’s the sign of a movie with word-of-mouth, with longevity, and with real impact on the industry that only a handful of such movies of its size can boast. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026

Noun phrase

Yet the movie enjoyed unprecedented staying power because of the euphoric word of mouth. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

FX‘s Adults is riding strong reviews and word of mouth into audience growth in its second season. — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined above

Noun Phrase

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

word of mouth

: spoken communication