vow

[ vou ]

noun

1. a solemn promise, pledge, or personal commitment:

   marriage vows; a vow of secrecy.

2. a solemn promise made to a deity or saint committing oneself to an act, service, or condition.
3. a solemn or earnest declaration.

verb (used with object)

1. to make a vow of; promise by a vow, as to God or a saint:

   to vow a crusade or a pilgrimage.

2. to pledge or resolve solemnly to do, make, give, observe, etc.:

   They vowed revenge.

3. to declare solemnly or earnestly; assert emphatically (often followed by a clause as object):

   She vowed that she would take the matter to court.

4. to dedicate or devote by a vow:

   to vow oneself to the service of God.

verb (used without object)

1. to make a vow.
2. to make a solemn or earnest declaration.

vow

/ vaʊ /

noun

1. a solemn or earnest pledge or promise binding the person making it to perform a specified act or behave in a certain way
2. a solemn promise made to a deity or saint, by which the promiser pledges himself to some future act, course of action, or way of life
3. take vows
   to enter a religious order and commit oneself to its rule of life by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, which may be taken for a limited period as simple vows or as a perpetual and still more solemn commitment as solemn vows

verb

1. tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive to pledge, promise, or undertake solemnly

   he vowed to return

   he vowed that he would continue

2. tr to dedicate or consecrate to God, a deity, or a saint
3. tr; usually takes a clause as object to assert or swear emphatically
4. archaic.
   intr to declare solemnly

Derived Forms

• ˈvowless, adjective
• ˈvower, noun

Other Words From

• vower noun
• vowless adjective
• un·vowed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vow¹

1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French vo ( u ) < Latin vōtum, neuter of vōtus, past participle of vovēre to vow

Word History and Origins

Origin of vow¹

C13: from Old French vou, from Latin vōtum a solemn promise, from vovēre to vow

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. take vows, to enter a religious order or house.

Example Sentences

During the campaign, Trump has previously vowed to strip the licenses of TV channels that he considered to be biased.

From BBC

He has vowed to weaken civil service rules that protect federal bureaucrats from being fired if they disagree with their bosses’ decisions.

From Los Angeles Times

President-elect Trump has vowed to press Congress to block the use of federal funds for gender-affirming care including surgery, a position also reflected in the Republican party platform.

From Los Angeles Times

He said he continues to view China as an economic and security rival, and has vowed to mandate deep tariffs on imports.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump has not spelled out what policy he will take on the war in Ukraine, beyond having vowed to end the conflict within a day, though never specifying how he would do so.

From BBC

Related Words

• affirm
• assure
• declare
• promise
• swear