vow
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a serious promise to do something or to live in a certain way.
n.a solemn promise or pledge, especially one made to a deity or a religious order.
Simple“The monks took a vow of silence and did not speak for the entire year.”
In context“Upon entering the monastery, the novices took a formal vow of poverty, renouncing all personal possessions in favour of communal living.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the formal promises two people make to each other during a wedding.
n.the solemn promises exchanged between partners during a marriage ceremony.
Simple“They wrote their own wedding vows to make the ceremony more personal.”
In context“The couple stood before their families to exchange their marriage vows, promising to support one another through all future hardships.”
Synonymsmarriage oath - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make a very serious promise to yourself or others.
v.to make a solemn or formal promise; often used with a following infinitive or 'that' clause.
Simple“After the accident, he vowed to never drive while tired again.”
In context“The candidate vowed that she would reform the tax system within her first hundred days in office, despite significant opposition from her own party.”
Usageoften followed by 'to' and a verb, or a 'that' clause.
“In 2022 Lula won his third term, defeating Bolsonaro by a razor-thin margin and vowing to rescue the country from “one of the worst periods in Brazilian history”.”
“US president announces 'causing economic operation' against Iran, vows measures against nations trading with Tehran.”
Inherited from Middle English vowe, voue, that from Old French vut, in turn from Latin vōtum (“a promise, dedication, vow”), from vovēre (“to promise, vow”). Not related to avow. Doublet of vote.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.