wooed; wooing; woos

transitive verb

1
: to sue for the affection of and usually marriage with : court
2
: to solicit or entreat especially with importunity
woo new customers
3
: to seek to gain or bring about

intransitive verb

: to court a woman
wooer noun

Examples of woo in a Sentence

The store had a sale in an effort to woo new customers. The company must find creative ways to woo new employees.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Her new report looks at how Nashville employers are wooing workers back to offices, following years of remote work. Sandy Mazza, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 One reason may be housing costs—as those shot up, lower-cost housing in other states, combined with remote work opportunities, may have wooed middle-class residents away from the Bay State. Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 That's where someone like Paxton may woo conservatives who are further right. Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 Later in 2020, Trump sought to woo Black voters with a series of campaign promises, including establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Ani Freedman, Fortune, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for woo

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wowen, from Old English wōgian

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of woo was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Woo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woo. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

woo

verb
1
: to try to gain the love of : court
2
: to seek to gain or bring about
political candidates wooing public support

More from Merriam-Webster on woo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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