wow

1 of 4

interjection

ˈwau̇ 

—used to express strong feeling (such as pleasure or surprise)

wow

2 of 4

noun (1)

: a striking success : hit

wow

3 of 4

verb

wowed; wowing; wows

transitive verb

: to excite to enthusiastic admiration or approval

a performance that wowed the critics

wow

4 of 4

noun (2)

: 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

Interjection

Amateur astronomy is a popular hobby in the Bay Area, and there’s plenty happening in our night skies this summer and early fall to illuminate and wow. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 3 July 2026

And wow, look at that, Palmer stars on The 'Burbs, a Peacock show that was just renewed for a second season. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 29 June 2026

Noun

Whether that's new hardware with some level of wow-factor, or revealing new agentic abilities in Gemini Intelligence, is anyone's guess. — Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

These colors will pop even more when the sun hits them, so lean into the wow-factor of the boldest, most unapologetic hues on pillows, pots, and furnishings. — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2026

Verb

Signs of the springy 6-foot-7 wing who wowed at Florida State were few and far between. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 July 2026

South Korean director Na Hong-jin wowed audiences in Cannes with hi-octane sci-fi thriller Hope in which a remote community, situated on the edge of Korean Demilitarized Zone, is terrorized by the arrival of aliens. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

imitative

First Known Use

Interjection

1513, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1920, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1924, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1932, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wow

• bao
• bough
• brow
• chow
• ciao
• clow
• cow
• dao
• dow
• frau
• hao
• hau