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

United is doing more to woo interest via social media, says Schmerin, including tapping members of its employee base who have cultivated followings on various platforms or working with outside influencers who discuss travel. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Nov. 2026

FanDuel, wooing the leagues, cited research showing that its customers watched forty per cent more sports after becoming members. — New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026

With a new wave of moratoriums and restrictions, AI companies like OpenAI are scrambling to rebrand the buildout and market construction alongside promises of perks and community benefits to woo both local governments and residents. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2026

Democrats won governor races in the next three biggest states previously wooing data center developers—Arizona, Georgia, and Ohio. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 Nov. 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