woo-woo

adjective

ˈwü-ˌwü 

: dubiously or outlandishly mystical, supernatural, or unscientific

And she has written a book … in which she dismisses what she calls "woo-woo spirituality" in favor of some straight talk on living with loss …

—Linda Richman

Energy beams from the eyes certainly sounds like woo-woo stuff …

—Steve Blow

woo-woo noun

One man's woo-woo, of course, is another's deeply held belief system.

—Julia Moskin

Examples of woo-woo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The song is propelled by Rodgers’s silvery guitar chatter; the lyrics swerve between party-hearty slogans and spiritual woo-woo. —New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026

Plates are creative without ever being too woo-woo. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2026

Many Chicagoans see sound healing sessions not as woo-woo, but as a part of one’s toolkit for well-being. —Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026

There’s a stunning rooftop spa, which ventures beyond a traditional menu of facials and massages with some charmingly woo-woo treatments—go ahead and book a tarot reading or multi-sensorial writer’s block remedy. —Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably from the interjection woo-woo as a conventional representation of an eerie or ghostly sound

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for woo-woo

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou