wade

¹

[ weyd ]

verb (used without object)

, wad·ed, wad·ing.

1. to walk in water, when partially immersed:

   He wasn't swimming, he was wading.

2. to play in water:

   The children were wading in the pool most of the afternoon.

3. to walk through water, snow, sand, or any other substance that impedes free motion or offers resistance to movement:

   to wade through the mud.

4. to make one's way slowly or laboriously (often followed by through ):

   to wade through a dull book.

   Synonyms: work, plow, plod, toil, labor

5. Obsolete. to go or proceed.

verb (used with object)

, wad·ed, wad·ing.

1. to pass through or cross by wading; ford:

   to wade a stream.

noun

1. an act or instance of wading:

   We went for a wade in the shallows.

verb phrase

1. 1. to begin energetically.
   2. to attack strongly:

      to wade into a thoughtless child; to wade into a mob of rioters.

Wade

²

[ weyd ]

noun

1. Benjamin Franklin, 1800–78, U.S. lawyer and antislavery politician.
2. a male given name.

Wade

¹

/ weɪd /

noun

1. Wade(Sarah) Virginia1945FBritishSPORT AND GAMES: tennis player ( Sarah ) Virginia. born 1945, English tennis player; won three Grand Slam singles titles: US Open (1968), Australian Open (1972), and Wimbledon (1977)

wade

²

/ weɪd /

verb

1. to walk with the feet immersed in (water, a stream, etc)

   the girls waded the river at the ford

2. introften foll bythrough to proceed with difficulty

   to wade through a book

3. intr; foll by in or into to attack energetically

noun

1. the act or an instance of wading

Derived Forms

• ˈwadable, adjective

Other Words From

• un·waded adjective
• un·wading adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wade¹

before 900; Middle English waden to go, wade, Old English wadan to go; cognate with German waten, Old Norse vatha; akin to Old English wæd ford, sea, Latin vadum shoal, ford, vādere to go, rush

Word History and Origins

Origin of wade¹

Old English wadan; related to Old Frisian wada, Old High German watan, Old Norse vatha, Latin vadum ford

Example Sentences

Before wading into the legal morass these lawsuits are attempting to navigate, let’s take a quick look at how the technology is developed and why copyright has become an issue.

From Los Angeles Times

Soon, North Korean refugees began wading through an often freezing Tumen river at the risk of being shot dead to escape hunger, poverty and repression.

From BBC

The question of how to act as the conscience of the state without contradicting the spirit of inclusion or wading too deeply into partisan politics still bedevils liberal pastors defying the influence of right-wing Christianity.

From Salon

Other organisers are more circumspect, not wanting to wade into political waters.

From BBC

It was Ms Berry’s great-niece who saved her, helping her wade through three to four feet of water, as she had a hip replacement a while back.

From BBC

Related Words

• bathe
• paddle
• splash
• stumble
• trek