abide
Americanverb (used without object)
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abides,
present (3rd person singular)
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abode,
past participle, past
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abided,
past participle, past
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abiding
present participle
verb (used with object)
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abides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
abode,
past participle, past
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abided,
past participle, past
-
abiding
present participle
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to put up with; tolerate; stand.
I can't abide dishonesty!
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to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting.
to abide a vigorous onslaught.
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to wait for; await.
to abide the coming of the Lord.
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to accept without opposition or question.
to abide the verdict of the judges.
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to pay the price or penalty of; suffer for.
verb phrase
verb
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(tr) to tolerate; put up with
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(tr) to accept or submit to; suffer
to abide the court's decision
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to comply (with)
to abide by the decision
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to remain faithful (to)
to abide by your promise
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(intr) to remain or continue
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archaic (intr) to dwell
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archaic (tr) to await in expectation
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archaic (tr) to withstand or sustain; endure
to abide the onslaught
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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abidesimple
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abidessimple
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have abidedperfect
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have abodeperfect
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has abidedperfect
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has abodeperfect
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am abidingprogressive
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are abidingprogressive
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is abidingprogressive
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have been abidingperfect progressive
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has been abidingperfect progressive
Past
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abidedsimple
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abodesimple
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had abidedperfect
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had abodeperfect
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was abidingprogressive
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were abidingprogressive
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had been abidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of abide
First recorded before 1000; Middle English abiden, Old English ābīdan; cognate with Old High German irbītan “to await,” Gothic usbeisns “expectation, patience”; equivalent to a- 3 + bide
Explanation
Abide means "to be able to live with or put up with." If you can't abide with something, it means you can't stand it. If you can abide it, it means you can live with it. An old definition of abide is "to live" — think of abode, as in "dwelling." If you abide by the rules, it means you live with them, and you will follow them. If you can't abide your sister's shrill violin playing, it means you can't live with it, you can't be in the house when she's practicing. You abide something you don't like, like your teacher's long stories about math. It's not a pleasant experience, but what choice do you have?
Vocabulary lists containing abide
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Antigone
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
First, you aren’t wrong to abide by his wishes for a home and security for you.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
In order for the plan to work, all sororities would have to abide by it, Cutforth reckoned, and so the vote would have to be unanimous.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had no advanced notice of the agreement, although he said his nation would abide by it.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
But she’s so loaded, she doesn’t abide by existing train schedules and surprises them all by stopping a train that is supposed to bypass the town.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Olanna laughed and then felt as if she were following a script, as if Odenigbo’s excitement would abide nothing but more excitement.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
She said the league abides by its contract but that the city hadn’t been fair with the league.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
The team abides by a "one strike and you're out" policy, where accounts found to be used in illegal activities will be promptly suspended.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
Nobody’s perfect, and the longer a piece of art abides, the more likely it is that it’ll start to suck.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2026
A federal monitor will be installed to ensure Live Nation abides by these terms over the next eight years.
From Slate ● Mar. 10, 2026
“We have read the scroll, and it is indeed an invitation. It seems that the Fairy Queen, at least, still abides by the laws of our treaty.”
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
“Congressman Wilson does and has always abided by campaign donation regulations set forth by the Federal Election Commission,” Snider said in an email.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
"For years, Europeans aided and abided flagrant ethical flaws in the international football federation," said Bruen, head of the Global Situation Room strategic communications firm.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
He told CBS News on Monday that Iran "could have access" to a $300bn reconstruction fund if it abided by the terms of its deal with the US.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
It requires those submitting trophy kills to sign an affidavit swearing they have abided by club technology and other restrictions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
When I was first banned I abided by the rules and regulations of my persecutors.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Actress Ariel Winter relocated to Nashville after purchasing a $2.9 million abode in College Grove in May 2022.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
In June, Dennis Quaid decided to say farewell to his longtime Los Angeles abode, listing it for $5.2 million before cutting $500,000 from the asking price on Sept. 29.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
After settling into their custom abode, Biles—who is listed on the deed alongside her mother, Nellie—put the property on the market for $1.2 million.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Speaking about her initial decision to sell the expansive 8,000-square-foot abode, Kris told The New York Times that she believes the time has come for another family to make their own memories within its walls.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Near the town was Gotama’s favorite abode, the Jetavana grove, which the rich merchant Anatha-pindika, a great devotee of the Illustrious One, had presented to him and his followers.
From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse
That title is something of a metaphor, about connecting to a deep, abiding spirituality accessible to us all.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
Regardless of what station they work for, reporters and pilots are constantly helping each other, abiding by unspoken rules to keep each other safe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
It is just the abiding memory is an awful ending of only one win from 17 matches, a horror run that left Root and his team broken.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
What they really want is to be quasi-banks without abiding by the same regulations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The fear of not living is a deep, abiding dread of watching your own potential decompose into irredeemable disappointment when “should be” gets crushed by what is.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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