Vow
noun
A serious promise or pledge to do something.
He made a vow to quit smoking.
Often appears as...
- make a vow
- break a vow
verb
To make a serious promise.
He vowed to avenge his brother's death.
Often appears as...
- vow to do something
- vow that
noun
A formal statement promising that something is true.
She took a vow of honesty before taking office.
Often appears as...
- take a vow
- vow of sincerity
Usage tips
Academic
noun
A set of promises by a person about how they will behave in their life, especially in a religious order.
She took a vow of chastity and poverty when entering the convent.
Often appears as...
- vow of chastity
- vow of poverty
Usage tips
Religious
noun
A serious promise or pledge to do something.
He made a vow to quit smoking.
Often appears as...
- make a vow
- break a vow
verb
To make a serious promise.
He vowed to avenge his brother's death.
Often appears as...
- vow to do something
- vow that
noun
A formal statement promising that something is true.
She took a vow of honesty before taking office.
Often appears as...
- take a vow
- vow of sincerity
Usage tips
Academic
noun
A set of promises by a person about how they will behave in their life, especially in a religious order.
She took a vow of chastity and poverty when entering the convent.
Often appears as...
- vow of chastity
- vow of poverty
Usage tips
Religious
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/3Personal Commitment
A vow is often personal, reflecting a deep commitment or a significant change in someone's life.
After seeing the suffering caused by war, he made a vow to promote peace.
Pro Tip 2/3Serious Tone
Using 'vow' suggests a strong, almost solemn determination; it’s more intense than a casual promise.
She made a vow to support her friend in times of need.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Easily Broken
A vow carries the expectation that it will be kept despite difficulties.
He took a vow to uphold the family's legacy, no matter what challenges arose.
Compare with
affirmcommitcovenantoathpledgepromiseswearundertake
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Video examples
What almost dying taught...
Staring your mortality straight in the eye has a way of simplifying things, of rerouting your focus to what really matters. And when I was sick, I vowed that if I survived, it had to be for something. It had to be to live a good life, an adventurous life, a meaningful one.
Video examples
I am here to confuse you...
not mutually exclusive but on the bookshelves of my university I discovered feminist Muslim women scholars who nurtured my feminism I had vowed never to read anything by Muslim men again so there were all these Muslim women helping me know that I'm not the
Video examples
Stanley McChrystal:...
It's probably more powerful than marriage vows. And they've lived up to it, which gives it special power. And so the organizational relationship that bonds them is just amazing. And I learned personal relationships were more important than ever.
Video examples
The transformative power...
The way an elder sister might speak to a younger brother. Unfortunately, it was the last thing she ever said to him, because she never saw him again. He did not survive. And so when she came out of Auschwitz, she made a vow. She told me this.
Video examples
Chasing the Rare Snow...
You know, we had a really good first few days of the shoot. Now we're into the reality of snow leopards. And, you know, it's been five days now since we've seen one. I think I'm going to make a vow not to shave until I see a snow leopard,
Video examples
My year of saying yes to...
And that yes was the beginning of a new way of life for my family. I made a vow that from now on, every time one of my children asks me to play, no matter what I'm doing or where I'm going, I say yes, every single time.
Video examples
The epic of Gilgamesh,...
he made peace with his mortality and vowed to spend his lifetime doing great deeds. He wrote his story on a lapis lazuli tablet and buried it under the city walls for future generations to find and learn from.
Video examples
What makes life worth...
were not as daunting as they once seemed. I realized that completing an advance directive is an act of love -- like a wedding vow. A pact to take care of someone, codifying the promise
Video examples
What you don't know...
and some guy her dad once did business with, and they'll vow that nothing -- not abject poverty, not life-threatening illness, not complete and utter misery --
Video examples
Akashinga: The Brave...
Is it clear? Yes. I vow to use my skills and training I vow to use my skills and training To protect these animals. To protect these animals.
Video examples
What almost dying taught...
Staring your mortality straight in the eye has a way of simplifying things, of rerouting your focus to what really matters. And when I was sick, I vowed that if I survived, it had to be for something. It had to be to live a good life, an adventurous life, a meaningful one.
Video examples
I am here to confuse you...
not mutually exclusive but on the bookshelves of my university I discovered feminist Muslim women scholars who nurtured my feminism I had vowed never to read anything by Muslim men again so there were all these Muslim women helping me know that I'm not the
Video examples
Stanley McChrystal:...
It's probably more powerful than marriage vows. And they've lived up to it, which gives it special power. And so the organizational relationship that bonds them is just amazing. And I learned personal relationships were more important than ever.
Video examples
The transformative power...
The way an elder sister might speak to a younger brother. Unfortunately, it was the last thing she ever said to him, because she never saw him again. He did not survive. And so when she came out of Auschwitz, she made a vow. She told me this.
Video examples
Chasing the Rare Snow...
You know, we had a really good first few days of the shoot. Now we're into the reality of snow leopards. And, you know, it's been five days now since we've seen one. I think I'm going to make a vow not to shave until I see a snow leopard,
Video examples
My year of saying yes to...
And that yes was the beginning of a new way of life for my family. I made a vow that from now on, every time one of my children asks me to play, no matter what I'm doing or where I'm going, I say yes, every single time.
Video examples
The epic of Gilgamesh,...
he made peace with his mortality and vowed to spend his lifetime doing great deeds. He wrote his story on a lapis lazuli tablet and buried it under the city walls for future generations to find and learn from.
Video examples
What makes life worth...
were not as daunting as they once seemed. I realized that completing an advance directive is an act of love -- like a wedding vow. A pact to take care of someone, codifying the promise
Video examples
What you don't know...
and some guy her dad once did business with, and they'll vow that nothing -- not abject poverty, not life-threatening illness, not complete and utter misery --
Video examples
Akashinga: The Brave...
Is it clear? Yes. I vow to use my skills and training I vow to use my skills and training To protect these animals. To protect these animals.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Jill Scott
American Musician
Singing and acting suit me. I made a vow to myself to do everything that I can do with this life that I have, and I have to find the time to do this. Sometimes I need to be an actress. Sometimes I don't need to be Jill. However, everyone is always looking for the Jill in everything.
Quote examples
Bill Rancic
American Businessman
I think it's time to have a celebration of life and renew our vows. And this time we're going to write the vows because they're going to mean a lot more. We certainly put the 'in sickness and in health' vow to the test the last year and half.
Quote examples
Duane Chapman
American Celebrity
My father is the reason I am the way I am today. He's why I acted up and he's why I prayed to be the opposite of him. We made up before he died but I vowed to never raise my kids like how he raised me.
Quote examples
James M. Barrie
British Playwright
The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.
Quote examples
Blake Shelton
American Musician
I think you have to be willing to take a bullet for somebody if you're going to stand up there, take your vows, and be married to them for the rest of your life.
Quote examples
Rubina Dilaik
Indian Actress
We had our own version of the seven vows, which Abhinav has written beautifully. Each vow touched my heart deeply.
Quote examples
George H. W. Bush
American President
You know I vowed when I became President not to talk about the loneliest toughest job in the world and I didn't.
Quote examples
Jenna Morasca
American Model
The truth is many people see a marriage vow as the only way people are going to stay with someone who is sick.
Quote examples
Brad Paisley
American Musician
When you're old-fashioned like I am, you know marriage is forever. Those vows are a promise.
Quote examples
Molly Ivins
American Journalist
We liberals do sometimes forsake our vows of compassion for all mankind.
Quote examples
Jill Scott
American Musician
Singing and acting suit me. I made a vow to myself to do everything that I can do with this life that I have, and I have to find the time to do this. Sometimes I need to be an actress. Sometimes I don't need to be Jill. However, everyone is always looking for the Jill in everything.
Quote examples
Bill Rancic
American Businessman
I think it's time to have a celebration of life and renew our vows. And this time we're going to write the vows because they're going to mean a lot more. We certainly put the 'in sickness and in health' vow to the test the last year and half.
Quote examples
Duane Chapman
American Celebrity
My father is the reason I am the way I am today. He's why I acted up and he's why I prayed to be the opposite of him. We made up before he died but I vowed to never raise my kids like how he raised me.
Quote examples
James M. Barrie
British Playwright
The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it.
Quote examples
Blake Shelton
American Musician
I think you have to be willing to take a bullet for somebody if you're going to stand up there, take your vows, and be married to them for the rest of your life.
Quote examples
Rubina Dilaik
Indian Actress
We had our own version of the seven vows, which Abhinav has written beautifully. Each vow touched my heart deeply.
Quote examples
George H. W. Bush
American President
You know I vowed when I became President not to talk about the loneliest toughest job in the world and I didn't.
Quote examples
Jenna Morasca
American Model
The truth is many people see a marriage vow as the only way people are going to stay with someone who is sick.
Quote examples
Brad Paisley
American Musician
When you're old-fashioned like I am, you know marriage is forever. Those vows are a promise.
Quote examples
Molly Ivins
American Journalist
We liberals do sometimes forsake our vows of compassion for all mankind.
Example 1 of 10
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