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

• nuncupative
• oral
• spoken
• unwritten
• verbal
• viva voce

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

Create a marketing system that includes: 1) Social media posts that highlight what makes my cases special, 2) Email sequences for turning followers into customers, 3) Strategies for getting word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied customers, and 4) Ways to create urgency without being pushy. —Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

The fiercely original show opened to glowing reviews and meager box office last fall, but has gradually become one of the hottest tickets in New York – a rare word-of-mouth success story in the ultra-competitive Broadway landscape. —Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 10 June 2025

Noun phrase

After recruiting more artists through flyers, Facebook and word of mouth, True Colors performed its first shows in 2024. —Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025

The residencies last a few weeks, long enough for word of mouth to spread. —Ann Abel, Forbes.com, 12 June 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