What does "vow" mean?
A solemn promise to perform some act, or behave in a specified manner, especially a promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order.
Vow
/vaʊ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A solemn promise to perform some act, or behave in a specified manner, especially a promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order.
- Grammar: vow is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adjuration, affirm, and candle, assert.
- Useful contrasts: breach, renounce, renunciation.
- Usage evidence: With every broken vow, you bring our ideal closer to destruction.
How to use "vow"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "vow" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "vow" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "vow" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "vow" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "vow" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adjuration" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "vow", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A solemn promise to perform some act, or behave in a specified manner, especially a promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order.
"The old hermit, up in the mountains, took a vow of silence."
- 2 a solemn pledge (to oneself or to another or to a deity) to do something or to behave in a certain manner wordnet
- 3 A declaration or assertion.
"Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths. Consider for a moment the origins of almost any word we have for bad language – "profanity", "curses", "oaths" and "swearing" itself."
- 4 A votive offering. obsolete
"There are also waxen vows, that represent other parts of the body mixed with them; but of these there are few in comparison of the number of the Priapi."
Verb
- 1 To make a vow; to promise. ambitransitive
"When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it."
- 2 make a vow; promise wordnet
- 3 To make a vow regarding (something). transitive
"The wronged woman vowed revenge."
- 4 dedicate to a deity by a vow wordnet
- 5 To declare publicly that one has made a vow, usually to show one's determination or to announce an act of retaliation.
"The rebels vowed to continue their fight."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"With every broken vow, you bring our ideal closer to destruction."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "vow"?
Common synonyms include: adjuration, affirm, and candle, assert, assert under oath, asseverate.
How do you use "vow" in a sentence?
With every broken vow, you bring our ideal closer to destruction.
How do you pronounce "vow"?
Pronounced /vaʊ/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English vowe, voue, that from Old French vut, in turn from Latin vōtum (“a promise, dedication, vow”), from vovēre (“to promise, vow”). Not related to avow. Doublet of vote.