woo

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

Synonyms of woo

• invite
• seek

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

In Single Lady, which premiered on Netflix in October 2024 after being filmed at her stand-up tour of the same name, Wong described how a man—revealed to be Hader later in the set—had wooed and pursued her, leading to her ultimately shedding that single lady status. —Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 8 Jan. 2026

Ross tried and failed early in his ownership tenure to woo coach Jim Harbaugh. —Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026

Quichotte aspires to woo a daytime-talk-show host, Salma R, the gorgeous and talented heir apparent to Oprah’s throne. —Erin Somers, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026

Arduini spent much of his early career at GE under the leadership of Jack Welch and then Jeff Immelt, leaving in 2005 before Culp wooed him back. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2026

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

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