: dubiously or outlandishly mystical, supernatural, or unscientific
And she has written a book … in which she dismisses what she calls "woo-woo spirituality" in favor of some straight talk on living with loss …Linda Richman
Energy beams from the eyes certainly sounds like woo-woo stuff …Steve Blow
woo-woo noun
One man's woo-woo, of course, is another's deeply held belief system. Julia Moskin

Examples of woo-woo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While that all may sound woo-woo, the principles of soft living—prioritizing sleep, taking moments for self-care, and connecting intentionally with others—are really all part of living mindfully. Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 22 Jan. 2024 Cohen chose one of Monica and Lisa's most contentious encounters from episode 9, when the Salt Lakers come for each other during Whitney Rose's sound bath (don't ask) at her woo-woo jewelry line launch — how the world can handle yet another Real Housewives jewelry line is a wonder in and of itself. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2023 Services run from the more typical (deep-tissue massage; facials) to the slightly more woo-woo (hypnosis; reiki; past life regression). Tori Latham, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2024 Los Angeles used to be a punchline for its obsession with all things woo-woo. Monica Corcoran Harel, Travel + Leisure, 16 Oct. 2023 What makes consumers with nothing tangible to gain subscribe to woo-woo theories? Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023 For subscribers to all things woo-woo, Sedona is heaven. Leena Kim, Town & Country, 18 June 2023 Plenty of today’s pop singers seem happy to divine their fates in the woo-woo Jacuzzi of star signs and tarot cards, and on this increasingly unstable planet of ours, the notion of destiny is apparently a grounding one. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 10 May 2023 But increasingly, these woo-woo offerings are for the wee ones, too. Leila Najafi, Robb Report, 9 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'woo-woo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably from the interjection woo-woo as a conventional representation of an eerie or ghostly sound

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of woo-woo was in 1992

Dictionary Entries Near woo-woo

Cite this Entry

“Woo-woo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woo-woo. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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