woo

verb

ˈwü 

wooed; wooing; woos

transitive verb

1

: to sue for the affection of and usually marriage with : court

2

: to solicit or entreat especially with importunity

woo new customers

3

: to seek to gain or bring about

intransitive verb

: to court a woman

wooer noun

Synonyms

• ask (for)
• court
• flirt (with)
• invite

Examples of woo in a Sentence

The store had a sale in an effort to woo new customers.

The company must find creative ways to woo new employees.

Recent Examples on the Web

Wong’s unconventional thinking has wooed a client list that includes MoMA, Nike, Kim Kardashian, and the late Virgil Abloh. —The Editors Of Ad, Architectural Digest, 4 Dec. 2024

Despite its highly offbeat approach, the band had no problem wooing a pair of Grammy Award-winning producers, Ryan Lewis (Doja Cat) and John Spiker (Tenacious D), to the mixing board for their debut album. —Josh Weiss, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

Looney will use his vast contacts to help Prometheus woo the tech giants. —Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024

The keys are used to buy luxuries, woo potential romantic partners and build alliances, all in a bid to unlock a lifechanging fortune. —Peter White, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wowen, from Old English wōgian

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing woo

• woo-hoo
• woo-woo

Kids Definition

woo

verb

ˈwü 

1

: to try to gain the love of : court

2

: to seek to gain or bring about

political candidates wooing public support