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

The brand was built through word-of-mouth and no traditional advertising, adding to its appeal as a homegrown streetwear label. — Nikkita Nair, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

Saddled with terrible reviews and negative word-of-mouth, Tom Cruise‘s absurdist dark comedy has cratered at the box office with $8 million in North America and $20 million globally in its first weekend of release. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

Noun phrase

Overseas, the hope is that Social Reckoning gets sophisticated audiences’ word of mouth in Europe. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

And with audiences giving Digger a C on the exit poll Cinemascore (for which anything below a B usually spells disaster), word of mouth will only further curtail its prospects of striking box-office gold. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 Oct. 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