word-of-mouth

1 of 2

adjective

ˌwərd-ə(v)-ˈmau̇th How to pronounce word-of-mouth (audio)
Synonyms of word-of-mouthnext
: orally communicated
also : generated from or reliant on oral publicity
word-of-mouth customers
a word-of-mouth business

word of mouth

2 of 2

noun phrase

: oral communication
especially : oral often inadvertent publicity

Synonyms

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of word-of-mouth in a Sentence

Adjective not having the money to run ads, the restaurant relies on word-of-mouth publicity
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Egg-selling has been a word-of-mouth business for Finley; her clients include local bakeries, salon clients, neighbors and others on an ever-growing waitlist. — Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2025 The book was released by Ecco in spring 2022 and became a word-of-mouth sensation, growing to become the top-selling book of 2023, according to certain book tracking publications. — Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun phrase
This resulted in me building my business and brand through referrals and word of mouth. — Stefanie Ricchio, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025 The Color Purple should be the lasting career touchstone for both Goldberg and Winfrey, its genuine popularity sustained through perennial TV runs and word of mouth, despite critical and industry controversy. — Armond White, National Review, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for word-of-mouth

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined above

Noun Phrase

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of word-of-mouth was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

word of honor
word-of-mouth
word of mouth
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Word-of-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/word-of-mouth. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

word of mouth

: spoken communication
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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