woo woo
Low to Medium (in informal/colloquial contexts)Informal, Colloquial, Often Pejorative
Definition
Meaning
A term for ideas, practices, or beliefs regarded as having little scientific basis, being irrational, pseudoscientific, or associated with New Age spirituality.
Can describe a person who holds such beliefs, or be used as a dismissive adjective for anything perceived as nonsensical, overly mystical, or lacking in empirical rigor.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used as a pejorative by skeptics. The term itself is often considered humorous or mocking. It can be written as 'woo-woo', 'woowoo', or 'woo'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is understood and used in both varieties, with no significant structural difference. It originated in American English.
Connotations
Slightly more likely to be encountered in US media and discourse, but the pejorative connotation is identical.
Frequency
More frequent in American English, but established in UK English, particularly in online/skeptical communities.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
It's [adjective] woo woo.That's just [noun] woo woo.He's into all that woo woo.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “full of woo woo”
- “the woo woo crowd”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except perhaps in marketing critique (e.g., 'The product's claims are just marketing woo woo.').
Academic
Used informally and pejoratively in discussions of pseudoscience, not in formal writing.
Everyday
Common in informal speech to dismiss an idea as silly or unscientific.
Technical
Not used in technical writing, except perhaps in sociology/anthropology discussing such beliefs.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A – 'woo woo' is not used as a verb. The verb is simply 'woo'.
American English
- N/A – 'woo woo' is not used as a verb. The verb is simply 'woo'.
adverb
British English
- N/A – 'woo woo' is not standardly used as an adverb.
American English
- N/A – 'woo woo' is not standardly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- I find crystal healing a bit too woo woo for my taste.
- The article debunked some woo woo claims about detox diets.
American English
- She dismissed the conspiracy theory as pure woo woo.
- That wellness influencer promotes a lot of woo woo science.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I don't believe in ghosts. It's woo woo.
- My friend is into some woo woo ideas about healing with magnets.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the sound a ghost makes: 'Wooooo!' – it's spooky, unscientific, and not based on fact.
Conceptual Metaphor
NONSENSE IS GHOSTLY NOISE (evoking the supernatural and the insubstantial).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not translate literally. It is not related to courtship ('ухаживать').
- Avoid cognates like 'ву-ву'. The concept is best explained as 'лженаука', 'эзотерическая чушь', or 'нью-эйдж бред'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it in formal contexts.
- Confusing it with the verb 'to woo' (to seek favour or affection).
- Spelling it inconsistently (woo-woo, woowoo).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the term 'woo woo' be MOST appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, they are completely different. The verb 'to woo' means to seek the favour or affection of someone. 'Woo woo' is a slang noun/adjective for irrational beliefs.
Rarely. It is almost always pejorative. Someone who holds such beliefs might use it self-deprecatingly, but it is primarily a term of criticism from skeptics.
It is believed to be imitative, possibly evoking the spooky sound 'woo!' associated with ghosts or the supernatural, thus mocking such ideas. It gained popularity in American skeptical circles in the late 20th century.
Usage varies. It can be written as 'woo woo', 'woo-woo', or less commonly as one word 'woowoo'. Dictionaries often list the hyphenated form.