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

Those are the features that could make the folding design useful after the initial wow factor wears off. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Elsewhere, Carolina Herrera will celebrate 45 years with a Wes Gordon show that is sure to wow, while Coach will honor a legendary 85 years with a runway show and special anniversary fête. — Morgan Evans, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026

Noun

Even without the French tips, her fingers often have a wow effect. — Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Sep. 2026

The wow factor that had coaches and GMs gushing over the quarterback during the offseason was almost nowhere to be seen as Tulsa’s defensive front was in Mestemaker’s face most of Saturday. — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Verb

The old body style first-gen wowed the masses with a V8 pavement pounder at a time when pickups were mostly meant for working. — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 23 Sep. 2026

For pizza pilgrims and locals simply looking for a dinner spot that will wow out-of-towners, there's no better reason to hop over the Hudson. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 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