promo
gb/pɹˈoʊmoʊ/ us/pɹˈoʊmoʊ/
B2
English
~ 8400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
Short advertisement or teaser
A short ad, usually a video or audio clip, that tries to make people interested in a product, event, TV show, movie, or other thing.
Usage pattern:
a promo for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'promo' with 'promotion' in the sense of getting a higher position at work (job promotion). In this sense, 'promo' is about advertising something, not about a career change.
Synonyms
ad (More general and slightly more common word for any advertisement in any medium.)
|
trailer (Specifically an advertisement for a movie or TV show, usually longer and more detailed than a typical promo.)
Antonyms
full episode (Refers to the complete show or content itself, not a short advertisement for it.)
Collocations
TV promo
|movie promo
|promo video
|promo clip
|teaser promo
|new promo
Themes
media
|business
|marketing
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- Did you see the new promo for the final season?
- The channel keeps showing the same promo every commercial break.
- They released a short promo on social media to build excitement.
- The promo makes the movie look a lot funnier than it really is.
- We need a thirty‑second promo to run before the evening news.
Learner examples
- I watched a promo for the new show online.
- The promo was only thirty seconds long.
- They made a promo to tell people about the concert.
- This promo makes the game look very exciting.
- The TV station plays that promo many times a day.
Noun
informal
B2
event
2
Sales promotion or special offer
A special plan or event used to sell more things, often with lower prices or extra benefits for a short time.
Usage pattern:
to run a promo on [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'promo' here means a job promotion. In business or shopping contexts, 'promo' usually refers to discounts or special offers, not to getting a higher position at work.
Synonyms
promotion (More formal and standard term; used in both everyday and professional marketing language.)
|
sale (Focuses on lowered prices; does not always include the broader marketing activity around the offer.)
Antonyms
regular price (Describes the normal cost of a product without any promo or discount.)
Collocations
run a promo
|holiday promo
|launch promo
|special promo
|promo offer
|online promo
Themes
business
|marketing
|shopping
|finance
Examples
- We're running a summer promo on all our skincare products.
- The app is doing a limited‑time promo for new users.
- That restaurant had a buy‑one‑get‑one‑free promo last week.
- The bank launched a promo to attract first‑time credit card customers.
- Sign up today to take advantage of our holiday promo.
Learner examples
- The store has a weekend promo on shoes.
- They are doing a promo: buy two and get one free.
- I only bought it because there was a big promo.
- Our gym is running a promo for new members.
- This promo ends on Friday, so we must be quick.
adjective
C1
property
3
Related to advertising or promotion
Describes something made to advertise or sell a product, service, or person.
Usage pattern:
promo [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes write *'promotion video'* instead of the more natural 'promo video' or 'promotional video'. 'Promo' is common in speech and informal writing; 'promotional' is more formal.
Synonyms
promotional (More formal and common in written business or marketing English; 'promo' sounds shorter and more casual.)
Antonyms
non-commercial (Describes things not intended to sell or promote products or services.)
Collocations
promo event
|promo tour
|promo photos
|promo shoot
|promo materials
|promo campaign
Themes
business
|media
|marketing
|communication
Examples
- The band is going on a promo tour across Europe.
- We need some new promo photos for the website.
- She spent the afternoon at a promo event for the new phone.
- They shot a promo video in the city center.
- The company printed thousands of promo flyers for the festival.
Learner examples
- They made a promo video for the new app.
- He is handing out promo flyers on the street.
- The singer did a promo tour in Asia.
- We took promo photos for our online shop.
- The promo event was full of free food and music.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
4
Promotional advance copy of media
A free early copy of music, a movie, a game, or similar media that is sent to special people so they can help promote it.
Usage pattern:
a promo of [a song / an album / a game]
Synonyms
advance copy (General term; not limited to promotional use, but often used in publishing and media industries.)
Collocations
DJ promo
|radio promo
|exclusive promo
|advance promo
|promo copy
|club promo
Themes
media
|music
|business
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Examples
- The label sent out promos to radio stations last month.
- He got a club promo of the track before it was officially released.
- Music bloggers often receive digital promos from independent artists.
- DJs love getting exclusive promos they can play before anyone else.
- Reviewers were given a promo copy of the game under strict embargo.
Learner examples
- The DJ played a promo that is not in stores yet.
- She received a promo of the new album for her blog.
- Only a few people got a promo before the movie came out.
- The company sent promos to game reviewers.
- He likes to play rare promos in his sets.
Grammar
Dictionary form
promo
IPA
GB/pɹˈoʊmoʊ/
US/pɹˈoʊmoʊ/
Syllables & stress
promo (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (promo)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: promo
- Comparative: promoer
- Superlative: promoest
Noun
- Base: promo
- Plural: promos
Word family
Expressions
promo code
1/pɹˈoʊmoʊ kˈoʊd/
fixed phrase
Discount code for a purchase
A short word or number you type or show when you buy something to get a discount or special offer.
Examples
- If you enter this promo code at checkout, you’ll get 15% off.
- I forgot to use the promo code, so I paid full price.
- You can usually find a promo code for that website with a quick search.
run a promo
1/ɹˈʌn ə pɹˈoʊmoʊ/
fixed phrase
Operate a sales promotion
For a company or store to have a special offer or discount for a short time.
Examples
- The supermarket is running a promo on fresh fruit this week.
- We usually run a promo every year around the holidays.
- They decided to run a promo to attract more new customers.