Meaning & use
vows
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“vows” is a form of “vow”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Serious promises that someone makes, especially in a wedding ceremony or in religious life.
Grammar: Almost always plural when talking about a wedding or religious promises: they exchanged vows.
Patterns
- exchange vows
- take vows
- wedding vows
- make a vow
The couple exchanged vows in front of their closest friends.
She took her final vows and became a nun.
He kept the vows he had made to his wife.
verbtransitive
To promise seriously and firmly that you will do something.
Grammar: Takes an object, often a clause with to: he vowed to return.
Patterns
- vow to do something
- vow that ...
- vow revenge
She vowed to finish the race no matter what happened.
The company vowed that it would fix the problem within a week.
After the accident he vowed never to drive so fast again.
nouncountable
A single solemn promise to do or not do something.
Grammar: Use the singular for one promise: he made a vow.
Patterns
- make a vow
- break a vow
- a vow of silence
He made a vow to call his mother every Sunday.
Breaking a vow can feel like a betrayal to the other person.
The monks live under a vow of silence.
Word forms
| third person singular | vows |
|---|---|
| past tense | vowed |
| past participle | vowed |
| -ing form | vowing |
| plural noun | vows |
Common combinations
- exchange vows
- They exchanged vows at sunset on the beach.
- take a vow of silence
- The monks take a vow of silence for the whole week.
- wedding vows
- She wrote her own wedding vows.
- vow to do something
- He vowed to pay back every cent he owed.
- break a vow
- He never broke a vow in his life.
Synonyms and how they differ
- promise
- The everyday word for saying you will do something; a vow sounds more serious and formal.
- oath
- An oath is a formal promise made in a legal or official setting, such as in court.
- pledge
- A pledge is a public promise, often to give money or support to a cause.
- swear
- As a verb, swear means to make a strong promise, but it can also mean to use rude language.
Word family
- vow noun
- One serious promise, especially in marriage or religion.
- vowed adjective
- Bound by a promise, as in the vowed life of a monk.
Commonly confused: vows or wows?
vows vs wows
Sounds almost the same but means amazes or impresses people, as in the show wows the audience.
Practice
Which sentence uses "vows" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Vows" is the plural noun used for the promises in a wedding, so "exchanged vows" fits. Option 2 uses the singular without an article, option 3 uses the wrong preposition, and option 4 is a misspelling.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vows”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.