woofed; woofing; woofs
1
: to make the low gruff sound typically produced by a dog
2
: to express oneself in a usually stylized boastful or aggressive manner
Examples of woof in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Thousands of golden retrievers gathered in Colorado for the largest unofficial gathering of the dog breed in the world, in a celebration buzzing with laughter from owners and woofs from their excited Goldens dressed in bandanas, sweaters, and tutus.
—
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
Hundreds of fans and their dogs showed up to cheer (and woof) for the Mets.
—Jeremy Rellosa, Curbed, 22 May 2025
Unfortunately, the subsequent lawsuits only served to popularize the song, which became a niche hit among the sort of people who like those albums where dogs and cats woof and meow their way through Christmas songs.
—Alexandra Petri, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
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Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 12 Feb. 2026
Hundreds of fans and their dogs showed up to cheer (and woof) for the Mets.
—Jeremy Rellosa, Curbed, 22 May 2025
Unfortunately, the subsequent lawsuits only served to popularize the song, which became a niche hit among the sort of people who like those albums where dogs and cats woof and meow their way through Christmas songs.
—Alexandra Petri, Washington Post, 2 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Woof.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woof. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
woof
2 of 3 verb
: to make the sound of a woof
woof
3 of 3 noun
: a deep harsh sound made by a dog
Etymology
Middle English oof "threads, crossing the warp," from Old English ōwef (same meaning), from ō- "on" (from on) and -wef (related to web "web" and wefan "to weave")
a word created in imitation of the sound
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