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.
While the likes of McDonald’s and Subway have hardly vanished from terminals, concessions companies are increasingly wooing popular local eateries and celebrity chefs to bring their signature menu items to the traveling public. Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025 The city recently sent a delegation to Vancouver to woo back travelers. Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Not bad, as far as a woo-her-back letter goes. Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025 Most states want to woo new businesses. Editorial, Boston Herald, 5 Sep. 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 15 Sep. 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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