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 of word-of-mouth

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

Madison Social Charcuterie’s rapid growth has resulted from word-of-mouth endorsements, according to the owners, with support coming from friends, neighbors, colleagues and the downtown community. — Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026

Thanks to stellar reviews and even better word-of-mouth, ticket sales are about to surpass $40 million worldwide — and that’s before the movie has opened in all overseas territories. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 31 July 2026

Noun phrase

This week on Little Gold Men, the team makes the case for why fall film festivals still matter, especially for smaller movies that need strong word of mouth to survive the season. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 30 July 2026

Consumers trust word of mouth more than any other form of advertising. — Micah Logan, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

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