word-of-mouth

1 of 2

adjective

ˌwərd-ə(v)-ˈmau̇th 

: 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

Adjective

• oral
• verbal

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

Adjective

Aired already on primetime VRT and at the same time on VRT MAX, the broadcaster’s online platform, the series was well-received by the audience and gathered both news attention and a great word-of-mouth, with good completion rates and high talk value. —Kevin Giraud, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026

But King Penny, which is celebrating its landmark 50th performance on Thursday, May 21, is one of the most successful ideas the Clocktower has seen in the 21st century, building a loyal audience and attracting newcomers with word-of-mouth raves and a 1940s-style radio format. —John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026

Noun phrase

And given the poor response to the trailers, word of mouth is more likely to be negative than positive. —Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026

Bad word of mouth was hurting advance ticket sales. —Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined above

Noun Phrase

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

word of mouth

: spoken communication