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

Creators are also regularly engaging with fans via YouTube’s Community tab, Shorts, and, to a slightly lesser extent, live streams, which can operate as their own organic and fan-driven word-of-mouth marketing. —Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026

Kubek said pickup games have evolved from word-of-mouth meetups to multigenerational communities, with teenagers, parents and longtime players sharing the field. —Julia King, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026

Noun phrase

Otherwise, a lot of private games exist purely on word of mouth. —Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026

In the fall, residents learn about the process through public service announcements, local media, door-knocking outreach or word of mouth. —Celina Su, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 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