woo

1 of 2

verb

ˈwü 

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

wooer

2 of 2

noun

woo·​er

ˈwüə(r), 

ˈwu̇(ə)r, 

ˈwu̇ə

plural -s

: one that woos : suitor, lover

Synonyms of woo

Verb

• invite
• seek

Examples of woo in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

On its roadshow, the company will have to woo prospective investors, gauge demand, set the IPO offer price and allocate shares. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026

The leaders of the bigger parties typically woo them with promises of Cabinet positions, budgets or specific policies. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026

Can wooing hitmakers help Netflix find its way back to dominance? — Joel Mathis, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026

Head south of the border for a chilling crime documentary about José Luis Calva Zepeda, a poet and playwright in Mexico City who used his way with words to woo women. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English wowen, from Old English wōgian

Noun

Middle English wowere, from Old English wōgere, from wōgian to woo + -ere -er

First Known Use

Verb

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

Phrases Containing woo

• woo-hoo
• woo-woo

Rhymes for woo

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

woo

verb

ˈwü 

1

: to try to gain the love of : court

2

: to seek to gain or bring about

political candidates wooing public support