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• ed
  ed

  noun

  education.
• Ed
  Ed

  noun

  a male given name, form of Edgar or Edward.
• ED
  ED

  Department of Education.
• -ed
  -ed

  a suffix forming the past tense of weak verbs.
• ed.
  ed.

  abbreviation

  edited.
• E.D.
  E.D.

  abbreviation

  Eastern Department.

ed

¹ American  

[ed] / ɛd /

noun

Informal.

1. education.

   a course in driver's ed; adult ed.

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Ed ² American  

[ed] / ɛd /

noun

1. a male given name, form of Edgar or Edward.

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ED ³ American  

1. Department of Education.

2. Pathology. erectile dysfunction.

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-ed ⁴ American  

1. a suffix forming the past tense of weak verbs.

   he crossed the river.

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-ed ⁵ American  

1. a suffix forming the past participle of weak verbs (he had crossed the river ), and of participial adjectives indicating a condition or quality resulting from the action of the verb (inflated balloons ).

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-ed ⁶ American  

1. a suffix forming adjectives from nouns.

   bearded; monied; tender-hearted.

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ed. ⁷ American  

abbreviation

eds plural, plural

1. edited.

2. edition.

3. editor.

4. education.

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E.D. ⁸ American  

abbreviation

1. Eastern Department.

2. election district.

3. ex dividend.

4. executive director.

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ed. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. edited

2. edition

3. editor

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-ed ² British  

suffix

1. forming the past tense of most English verbs

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-ed ³ British  

suffix

1. forming the past participle of most English verbs

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-ed ⁴ British  

suffix

1. possessing or having the characteristics of

   salaried; red-blooded

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Etymology

Origin of ed¹

By shortening

Origin of -ed⁴

Old English -de, -ede, -ode, -ade; origin disputed

Origin of -ed⁵

Old English -ed, -od, -ad; origin disputed

Origin of -ed⁶

Middle English; Old English -ede

Example Sentences

"It works as a visual token to remind us that, that word with -ed on the end, no matter how you're going to say it, puts that word into the past tense," Daryl said.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2025

In the same way that the suffix -ed indicates that you’re speaking about the past, shows “basic empathy” between texters, McWhorter argues.

From Slate • May 2, 2013

Instead of having a literal meaning, it does something — conveying an attitude — just like the -ed ending conveys past tense rather than “meaning” anything. , of all things, is grammar.

From Time • Apr. 25, 2013

They've kaizen-ed and -ed and -ed the jobs.

From BusinessWeek • May 5, 2011

The current statement that the syllable -ed, rather than the letter -d is the sign of the pr�terite tense, is true only in regard to the written language.

From A Handbook of the English Language by Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)