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Glite Dictionary
💐 To court 🤝 To seek favor
to woo

to woo

22 5.6
To try to get support or approval by pleasing people
  • verb
  • /wuː/
translation icon : captar
  • Nixon, in other words, wanted to woo the Arabs away from the Soviets.

Examples

  • Recruiters make a special effort to woo top graduates from leading engineering schools.

    Academic text (2004)

  • It seems you're trying to woo me, Signor Salvato, by offering to make me a notch on your bedpost.

    Casanova (2005)

  • Wow, you do know how to woo a girl.

    The Big Year (2011)

  • You gotta woo these people.

    Brideshead Revisited (2008)

  • But the state needs to step up its efforts to woo Chinese investors.

    Blog text (24)

  • Republicans had to decide whether to attack Mr. King or woo him to their side.

    Blog text (6)

  • Yet after the Cold War, India set about wooing the United States.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Once he is the nominee, it will be all about wooing the independents.

    Blog text (33)

  • German wines are having a difficult time wooing Chinese tipplers, according to a recent DW piece.

    Blog text (31)

  • The company ran a new advertising campaign to woo potential customers.

Synonyms

to court
vsto woo
54 5.5

To try to get someone's support by giving attention or praise

tries to gain support more broadly by pleasing or attentive actions
to curry favor
vsto woo
  • US
10 7.4

To try to get someone to like you by praising them or being too helpful

is a general effort to win support without using flattery

Antonyms

to alienate
123 6.7

To make someone feel alone and lose support from others

Compounds

woo woo
  • Slang
3 9.9

Ideas that seem like nonsense and lack scientific proof

woo woo nonsense
  • Slang
9.9

Ideas not based on science and lacking evidence, often about ghosts or miracle cures

woo-monger
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who gives false love advice to lonely people

How Persuasive

to lobby
100 4.0
to win over
54 3.3
to woo
22 5.6
to appeal
100 2.7

Surface Forms

woo infinitive
wooed past
wooed past participle
wooing present participle
woos third person singular

Etymology

Woo kept the basic idea of 'trying to win someone over', so it later came to mean trying to gain a person or group's 'favor' or support. That's why companies or politicians woo investors or voters by giving attention and attractive offers.