woo
gb/wˈu/ us/wˈu/
B1
English
udvarol, megnyer, juhú, ezós, áltudományos
VERB
C1
1
udvarol
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] woo [someone] (often + with [something])
He wooed her with long walks, home-cooked meals, and terrible jokes.
Hosszú sétákkal, házi főztjével és borzalmas viccekkel udvarolt neki.
In the movie, the shy musician tries to woo the lead actor’s character.
A filmben a félénk zenész a főszerepet játszó színész karakterének próbál udvarolni.
She wasn’t interested, no matter how hard he tried to woo her.
Learner examples
He is trying to woo her.
Udvarolni próbál neki.
He wooed her with flowers.
Virágokkal udvarolt neki.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use it without an object; in modern English it most often takes an object (woo someone).
Meaning
try to win someone’s love
Collocations
woo her
|woo him
|woo a woman
|woo a man
|woo a partner
|woo someone with flowers
|woo someone with compliments
|woo tirelessly
|woo successfully
|woo openly
Synonyms
court (More traditional/formal, often implies serious romantic pursuit.)
|
pursue (More general; not necessarily focused on charming behavior.)
|
charm (Focuses on pleasing someone with your personality or actions.)
Antonyms
repel (To make someone feel dislike or lose interest.)
|
put off (To cause someone to lose attraction or enthusiasm.)
Themes
relationships
|emotions
Definition
To try to make someone love you.
To try to attract someone and start a romantic relationship with them, especially by being attentive or charming.
VERB
C1
2
megnyer
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] woo [customers/voters/investors/support]
The company is trying to woo new customers with lower prices.
A vállalat alacsonyabb árakkal próbál új vevőket megnyerni.
Both candidates spent the week wooing undecided voters.
Mindkét jelölt azzal töltötte a hetet, hogy a bizonytalan szavazókat próbálta megnyerni.
The city launched a campaign to woo tourists back after the storm.
Learner examples
They are wooing new customers.
Új vevőket próbálnak megnyerni.
The politician wooed young voters.
A politikus megpróbálta megnyerni a fiatal szavazókat.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think it only means romantic interest; it is also common in business and politics (woo voters, woo customers).
Meaning
seek support or business
Collocations
woo voters
|woo customers
|woo investors
|woo support
|woo backing
|woo the public
|woo business
|woo new clients
|woo donors
|woo talent
Synonyms
court (Common in business/politics; suggests active efforts to win favor.)
|
attract (Less personal; focuses on drawing interest rather than persuasion.)
|
win over (Emphasizes changing someone’s attitude to support you.)
Antonyms
alienate (To cause people to lose support or feel hostile.)
|
drive away (To make potential supporters or customers leave.)
Themes
business
|politics
|communication
Definition
To try to get support or customers.
To try to gain someone’s support, approval, or business, especially by offering benefits or making a strong appeal.
B1
INFORMAL
3
juhú
A2
Usage pattern:
Woo!
Woo! That was an amazing goal.
Juhú! Ez fantasztikus gól volt.
The crowd let out a loud “woo” when the band returned to the stage.
A közönség hangos „juhú!” kiáltásban tört ki, amikor a zenekar visszatért a színpadra.
“Woo!” she shouted as the car finally started.
Learner examples
Woo! We won!
Juhú! Nyertünk!
Common mistake:
Not to be confused with the verb woo (to try to attract or persuade someone).
Meaning
shout of excitement or approval
Collocations
a loud woo
|a chorus of woos
|hear someone woo
|the crowd went woo
|woo from the audience
|people shouted woo
Synonyms
yay (More general celebration; usually less like a cheering/whistling sound.)
|
whee (More playful; often used for thrill or speed.)
|
bravo (More formal praise for a performance.)
Antonyms
boo (A shout of disapproval.)
Themes
speech
|entertainment
Definition
A shout that means you are excited or impressed.
Used as a loud shout to express excitement, approval, or encouragement, especially in a crowd.
C1
SLANG
4
ezós
C1
áltudományos
C1
Usage pattern:
[woo] ideas/beliefs/claims
The article mixes solid health advice with a lot of woo claims.
A cikk megbízható egészségügyi tanácsokat kever egy csomó ezós állítással.
He dismissed the explanation as woo nonsense.
Ezós zagyvaságnak minősítette a magyarázatot.
She’s skeptical of woo treatments that promise instant cures.
Learner examples
I don’t trust woo claims.
Nem hiszek az ezós állításoknak.
Common mistake:
Often used critically; it usually implies disbelief or ridicule.
Meaning
unscientific mystical ideas (slang)
Collocations
woo beliefs
|woo claims
|woo nonsense
|woo thinking
|woo ideas
|woo spirituality
|woo arguments
|woo explanation
Synonyms
pseudoscientific (More formal; emphasizes a false appearance of science.)
|
mystical (Not always negative; can be religious/spiritual without the mocking tone.)
|
new-age (Related to modern spirituality; can be neutral or critical depending on context.)
Antonyms
evidence-based (Grounded in data and reliable research.)
|
scientific (Based on established scientific methods and evidence.)
Themes
internet
|science
|culture
Definition
Not scientific; based on magical or mystical ideas.
Based on vague, mystical, or pseudoscientific ideas rather than evidence; irrationally “new age.”
Grammar
Dictionary form
woo
IPA
GB/wˈu/
US/wˈu/
Syllables & stress
woo (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (woo)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: woo
- 3rd Person Singular: woos
- Present Participle: wooing
- Past: wooed
Expressions
woo [someone] over
1/wˈu sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈoʊvɚ/
phrasal verb
persuade someone to support you
To make someone start to like or support you.
Examples
- She wooed the committee over with a clear plan and strong results.
- The new manager quickly wooed over a skeptical team.
- He tried to woo her over by listening more and arguing less.
Learner examples
- He wooed them over with a good presentation.