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View synonyms for vow

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈvowless, adjective
  • ˈvower, noun
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Other Words From

  • vower noun
  • vowless adjective
  • un·vowed adjective
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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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of vow1

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

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

Trump has also repeatedly vowed to shutter the Department of Education all together, though he has not explained how he would do so.

From Salon

They spend weekends and evenings after work searching for her, and vow to go door to door until they reach every house in the San Fernando Valley to find her, Sidhu said.

Northern Rail has vowed to improve performance as customers hit out at its "rubbish" service.

From BBC

Eric Trump also suggested Swinney's original remarks could affect Scotland's ability to negotiate on tariffs - Donald Trump has vowed to tax all goods imported into the US if he returned to the White House.

From BBC

The US president-elect has vowed to bring the war to a close when he takes office in January, with some fearing he could cut future military aid to Ukraine.

From BBC

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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