wow

1 of 4

interjection

ˈwau̇ How to pronounce wow (audio)
Synonyms of wownext
—used to express strong feeling (such as pleasure or surprise)

wow

2 of 4

noun (1)

: a striking success : hit

wow

3 of 4

verb

wowed; wowing; wows

transitive verb

: to excite to enthusiastic admiration or approval
a performance that wowed the critics

wow

4 of 4

noun (2)

: a distortion in reproduced sound consisting of a slow rise and fall of pitch caused by speed variation in the reproducing system

Examples of wow in a Sentence

Verb Her performance wowed the critics.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Interjection
In theaters April 25 (re-release) Rating: PG-13 (Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure) Staying with the Star Wars theme, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is celebrating its 20th anniversary (wow) with a nationwide re-release in theaters this weekend. — Devonne Goode, Parents, 24 Apr. 2025 Oh, wow, a truffle shrimp empanada sounds like the perfect partner for the Athletic IPA. — Leslie Kelly, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
Stay in Maryland, Governor Moore, and experience the wow of local living. — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2025 For visual impact, engineering intrigue, and sheer ‘wow’ factor, nothing comes close to this ‘Super Cygnet’ said Nicholas Mee, found of Nicholas Mee & Company. — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
American Music Awards nominees announced And rapper Kendrick Lamar, who wowed audiences with his Super Bowl LIX halftime show in February, leads the list with 10 nominations, including artist of the year, album of the year and song of the year. — Jade Walker, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2025 Marketed as the first AI capable of independently completing software development tasks, Devin wowed audiences with its ability to debug, deploy applications, and manage GitHub issues. — Quora, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wow

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

imitative

First Known Use

Interjection

1513, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1920, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1924, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wow was in 1513

Rhymes for wow

See All Rhymes for wow

Browse Nearby Words

wove paper
wow
wowf
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wow. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wow

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wow

Nglish: Translation of wow for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wow

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