wow

1 of 4

interjection

ˈwau̇ 

—used to express strong feeling (such as pleasure or surprise)

wow

2 of 4

noun (1)

: a striking success : hit

wow

3 of 4

verb

wowed; wowing; wows

transitive verb

: to excite to enthusiastic admiration or approval

a performance that wowed the critics

wow

4 of 4

noun (2)

: a distortion in reproduced sound consisting of a slow rise and fall of pitch caused by speed variation in the reproducing system

Examples of wow in a Sentence

Verb

Her performance wowed the critics.

Recent Examples on the Web

Interjection

Others will wow not only cinephiles but the mainstream voters in the Academy. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 3 Nov. 2026

Wings here aren’t fried, but wow, the flavor of the hot garlic. — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026

Noun

Marotta serves as chef de cuisine for Epcot Festivals, and his team brings the wow from one end of the culinary spectrum to the other. — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026

Even without the French tips, her fingers often have a wow effect. — Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Sep. 2026

Verb

Having won the Jury Prize at Venice and wowed audiences at other fall festivals, Lee’s remarkably close-to-perfect film drops on Netflix (starting November 6) after what’s supposed to be a brief theatrical run. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2026

And Hailey Bieber certainly wasn't going to let the occasion pass without wowing onlookers in a runway-ready outfit. — Marci Robin, Allure, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

imitative

First Known Use

Interjection

1513, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1920, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1924, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1932, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wow

• bao
• bough
• brow
• chow
• ciao
• clow
• cow
• dao
• dow
• frau
• hao
• hau