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woo woo
[ woo-woo ]
noun
- any force, phenomenon, process, etc., that has no clear scientific explanation and is regarded by some as mystical or spiritual and by others as illusory or fraudulent:
I’m hesitating about this alternative therapy, because so far it’s just woo woo and not really provable.
Higher-frequency thoughts like gratitude or love raise your frequency and lift you up—if that’s not too much woo-woo for you.
adjective
- relating to a force, phenomenon, process, etc., that has no clear scientific explanation and is regarded by some as mystical or spiritual and by others as illusory or fraudulent:
I know it sounds very woo woo, but as I wrote the song I felt the presence and inspiration of my late grandfather so powerfully it gave me the shivers.
I did my best to refute the worst woo-woo pseudoscience in the blog, but it was difficult.
woo-woo
/ ˈwuːˌwuː /
adjective
- derogatory.based on or involving irrational superstition
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Word History and Origins
Origin of woo woo1
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Example Sentences
As woo-woo as it sounds, you're yearning for a more spiritual experience of life, wherein daydreaming is a slice of daily bread.
Something sped through the air over their heads, uttering a strange, weird woo-woo-woo!
Woo—woo—woo—would you shoot Massa Kun'l, if he come for to take you?
The inhabitants of this island trace their origin to a monkey, which they call 'woo-woo.'
What's them that go 'boo-woo-woo,' like great big dogs barkin'?
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About This Word
What else does woo-woo mean?
Woo-woo is a slang term used to insult mystical or supernatural beliefs not backed up by science.
How is woo-woo pronounced?
[ woo-woo ]
Where does woo-woo come from?
Woo-woo is first recorded in the 1980s, used to mock beliefs associated with the likes of New Age culture.
The term may have originated as an imitation of the sound of the theremin in horror and sci-fi films and TV, or of the spooky noises associated with ghosts and the supernatural.
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Although woo-woo is usually considered derogatory, some alternative medicine practitioners, such as Deepak Chopra, have used the term themselves.
How is woo-woo used in real life?
As noted, some in the spiritualist or alternative medicine communities have taken up the label woo-woo, including U.K.-based spiritual teacher and podcaster Vix Maxwell (who goes by the moniker New Age Hipster). She, for instance, offers Woo Woo 101 courses for beginners at her Woo Woo School.
Skeptics, however, typically use woo-woo to make fun of or dismiss (sometimes very harmful) pseudoscientific wellness beliefs and their practitioners. National Geographic Traveler even declared Sedona, Arizona to be the “Capital of Woo-Woo” in a 2010 magazine article.
Huge difference. ‘Adrenal failure’ is a legitimate medical condition in which, for whatever reason, the adrenal glands don’t produce enough hormone for the body. Can be life-threatening.
‘Adrenal fatigue’ is woo-woo from people who want to steal from you. https://t.co/oHBuop7LZd
— Alastair ‘Wash Your Hands’ McAlpine (@AlastairMcA30) October 19, 2018
More examples of woo-woo:
“I’ve seen two posts about being an empath on Facebook today. Everyone ready for a new, woo-woo buzz word?”
—@tomorrow_kelly, October 2018
“I don’t want to get too woo-woo about the whole thing, but there is kind of a spiritualism or mysticism with some kinds of fly fishing, especially when you progress through the beginning, intermediate and advanced stages”
—Tom Morgan quoted by Chet Layman, MTN News, October 2018
Note
This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.
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