woo
- 01 C1 Advanced
v.to try to get someone's support or business, often by being very nice to them.
v.to seek the support, business, or approval of a person or group through persistent effort or persuasion.
Simple“The company is trying to woo new customers with big discounts.”
In context“The political candidate spent months trying to woo undecided voters in the rural districts through a series of town hall meetings.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to try to make someone fall in love with you.
v.to seek the affection or romantic interest of another person, typically with the intent of marriage or a serious relationship.
Simple“In the old story, the knight tried to woo the princess with poetry.”
In context“He attempted to woo her with grand gestures and expensive gifts, though she remained largely unimpressed by his displays of wealth.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
adj.describing ideas about magic or health that are not based on science.
adj.relating to or involving irrational or pseudoscientific beliefs, especially those concerning alternative medicine or the supernatural.
Simple“I don't really like that shop; they sell a lot of woo crystals and magic rocks.”
In context“The documentary was criticized for promoting woo-woo theories about energy healing that have no basis in clinical research.”
UsageOften doubled as 'woo-woo'.
Teacher's tipThis is often used dismissively or mockingly to describe New Age beliefs.
SynonymspseudoscientificmysticalAntonyms
“He wasn’t convinced he wanted to leave New York, he explained, but was swayed by the excitement other teams were showing as they tried to woo him.”
“In Korean dramas, romantic scenes between young adults sometimes feature aegyo speech, as one character tries to woo another by appearing more endearing to their love interest.”