word-of-mouth

1 of 2

adjective

ˌwərd-ə(v)-ˈmau̇th 

: orally communicated

also : generated from or reliant on oral publicity

word-of-mouth customers

a word-of-mouth business

word of mouth

2 of 2

noun phrase

: oral communication

especially : oral often inadvertent publicity

Synonyms

Adjective

• oral
• verbal

Examples of word-of-mouth in a Sentence

Adjective

not having the money to run ads, the restaurant relies on word-of-mouth publicity

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Chase Infiniti’s breakout performance has generated significant word-of-mouth but positioning her in lead leaves more room for co-stars Teyana Taylor and Regina Hall in supporting roles, and less of a chance of a classic vote-splitting dilemma that has derailed campaigns in the past. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025

This not only can lead unhappy consumers to leave but also deter future business through negative word-of-mouth and reviews. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Noun phrase

From here on out, there will be publicity events, critics awards, and countless release-cycle media appearances, plus audience word of mouth, but nothing gooses a movie’s Oscar profile quite like a hot festival reception. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025

When originality is great, and word of mouth is brilliant, and the marketing engines are in force, the creme rises to the top, again and again, even in a theatrical landscape that’s curbed by streaming. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined above

Noun Phrase

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

word of mouth

: spoken communication