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 of word-of-mouth

Relevance

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
As interest in gardening with native plants grows, word-of-mouth is often how news of plant sources spreads. — Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2026 That’s the sign of a movie with word-of-mouth, with longevity, and with real impact on the industry that only a handful of such movies of its size can boast. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun phrase
When word of mouth started spreading on Facebook, including an image of the restaurant’s sign stating that it's been around since 1929, The Enquirer’s food & dining writer Keith Pandolfi became intrigued. — Stephen Wilder, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Sep. 2026 The film is Certified Fresh at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes with a 92% audience score, excellent exits and great word of mouth across age demos. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Aug. 2026 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 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

word of mouth

: spoken communication
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All