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 of woo

• invite
• seek

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

In response to the lull in demand, homebuilders are trying to woo buyers with cost-cutting incentives, such as amenity upgrades, reduced rates, contributions to closing costs and appliances as part of the package. —Lily O'Neill, San Antonio Express-News, 2 Apr. 2026

That could spell a long summer of road trips to woo conservative holdovers stranded at the lower entryway to the north state. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026

That was a concession the Ellisons made to woo WBD away from its previous merger partner, Netflix. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026

But most deals in that age group have typically come from apparel and sneaker giants, trading card companies and local businesses of university donors trying to woo an athlete to their school, said Blake Lawrence, the co-founder and president of NIL marketplace Opendorse. —Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 19 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for woo

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

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