—used to express strong feeling (such as pleasure or surprise)
wowed; wowing; wows
: to excite to enthusiastic admiration or approval
a performance that wowed the critics
: a distortion in reproduced sound consisting of a slow rise and fall of pitch caused by speed variation in the reproducing system
Examples of wow in a Sentence
Verb
Her performance wowed the critics.
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Oswell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
Barbara seemed to know so much about Greenland from the start, but the operators could wow even her with their tidbits.
—Tim Neville, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2026
Always look for consistent lighting and positioning in these transformation photos, because the wow factor can be misleading.
—Brennan Kilbane, Allure, 15 Jan. 2026
Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Lobotka dismantled it and wowed him.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wow
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Interjection
Set the scene Beyond the obviously plum location—both uptown and downtown’s attractions and entertainment are within easy striking distance—the stunning exterior will wow you.
—Paul Oswell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
Barbara seemed to know so much about Greenland from the start, but the operators could wow even her with their tidbits.
—Tim Neville, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
For minimalists looking to expand their horizons, solid colored upholstery helps ground the piece in some neutrality, while the floor-sweeping fringe brings the wow factor.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 21 Jan. 2026
Always look for consistent lighting and positioning in these transformation photos, because the wow factor can be misleading.
—Brennan Kilbane, Allure, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
Margot Robbie wowed on the red carpet for the January 28 Los Angeles premiere of her latest film, Wuthering Heights.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Lobotka dismantled it and wowed him.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wow
Cite this Entry
“Wow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wow. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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