wed

¹

[ wed ]

verb (used with object)

, wed·ded or wed, wed·ding.

1. to marry (another person) in a formal ceremony.
2. to unite (a couple) in marriage or wedlock; marry.
3. to bind by close or lasting ties; attach firmly:

   She wedded herself to the cause of economic justice.

4. to blend together or unite inseparably:

   a novel that weds style and content perfectly.

   Synonyms: merge, fuse, combine

verb (used without object)

, wed·ded or wed, wed·ding.

1. to contract marriage; marry.
2. to become united or to blend:

   a building that will wed with the landscape.

we'd

²

[ weed ]

1. contraction of we had:

   Sometimes I wish we'd bought a bigger house.

2. contraction of we would:

   Of course we'd be happy to donate to the school's fundraiser.

Wed.

³

abbreviation for

1. Wednesday.

wed

¹

/ wɛd /

verb

1. to take (a person of the opposite sex) as a husband or wife; marry
2. tr to join (two people) in matrimony
3. tr to unite closely

we'd

²

/ wɪd; wiːd /

contraction of

1. we had or we would

Wed.

³

abbreviation for

1. Wednesday

Usage Note

See contraction.

Other Words From

• inter·wed verb (used without object) interwed or interwedded interwedding
• re·wed verb rewedded rewedding
• un·wed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wed¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English wedde, Old English weddian “to pledge, marry, get married”; cognate with German wetten “to bet,” Old Norse vethja “to pledge”

Word History and Origins

Origin of wed¹

Old English weddian; related to Old Frisian weddia, Old Norse vethja, Gothic wadi pledge

Example Sentences

The film actor listed their wedding date as May 25, 2018, and date of separation as Sept. 9, 2023, exactly one year prior to his divorce filing.

From Los Angeles Times

Still maintaining multiple relationships, McDonald jetted off to the Middle East for what his partner believed was a whirlwind wedding mere weeks into their relationship.

From BBC

Jenkins, who never wed or had children of her own, centered kids in her work, featuring them on her recordings and teaching them her core principles: careful listening, singing and improvisation.

From Los Angeles Times

She eventually found all of Ron's letters while her wedding guests were waiting at the church.

From BBC

Phillips had not been able to grab her wedding ring as she escaped the house.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dedicate
• marry