bid adieu

Idioms and Phrases

Say goodbye, take leave of, as in It's beyond my bedtime, so I bid you all adieu , or I'll be glad to bid adieu to these crutches . French for “goodbye,” adieu literally means “to God” and was part of à dieu vous commant , “I commend you to God.” Adopted into English in the 1300s, it was first recorded in Chaucer's Troilus and Cressida (c. 1385). Today it is considered quite formal, although it also is used humorously.

Example Sentences

I bid adieu to my friend Bartholomew, and could not avoid shedding tears; he embraced me and all my men.

From Project Gutenberg

At one o'clock, we bid adieu to our friendly hostess, who was one of the finest women I had seen in New Spain.

From Project Gutenberg

They wished once more, perhaps for ever, to bid adieu to this intrepid monk.

From Project Gutenberg

It was too early, however, for me to camp; hence I mounted my horse and rode up once more to bid adieu to the cataract.

From Project Gutenberg

"I must bid adieu to Mrs. Brooke and Bertha and return home to-night," was the thought in his mind.

From Project Gutenberg