WOO

What Does WOO Mean?

The Quick Answer

WOO means "Court the Favor of," "Pseudoscience," and "New York Gang."

Court the Favor of

Woo is a word which traditionally means "to court the favor of." Woo is used in both a personal and business context. For example:

Big pharma invests millions of dollars every year in WOOING politicians.
Toni WOOED Jo with champagne and chocolates.
They will object, but we will WOO them with free tickets for family members.

Pseudoscience

Since at least the 1990s, woo has been used as a derogatory term to refer to any type of pseudoscience. For example:

Astrology is a load of WOO.
They are into homeopathy and other such WOO.

New York Gang

Woo is also the name of a street gang, primarily based in Brooklyn, New York. The Woo gang hit the headlines in February 2022, when a number of members were charged in connection with a multi-million dollar COVID-19 unemployment insurance fraud. Among fans of rap music, the gang was already known because its name featured in the song "Meet the Woo", released in 2020, by rapper Pop Smoke.

Image for WOO

When I write WOO, I mean this:

WOO also means "Pseudoscience" and is the name of a New York gang.

Summary of Key Points for the First Definition

"Court the Favor of" is, by far, the most common meaning for WOO when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)