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

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

Where the vehicle’s wow factor can be assumed to lie is in its old-school drive dynamics. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2026

Verb

Fatih Akin is no stranger to the festival circuit, having wowed Berlin with his Golden Bear-winning Head-On in 2004 and nabbing best screenplay in Cannes for The Edge of Heaven in 2007. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

The 30-year-old actress wowed the crowd in a custom Prada gown decked out in what appeared to be silver sequins and appliqués, detailed with sheer white fabric at the low-cut neckline, and complete with a mini train. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 15 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