bid adieu

Idioms

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To bid adieu to a Muppet-themed section of Disney’s Hollywood Studios parks in Florida, some Kermit and Gonzo superfans organized a prom-inspired soiree at one of the area’s restaurants.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

What pages should you keep, and which should you bid adieu?

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2025

The Washington men’s crew bid adieu to its longtime conference home Sunday in grand fashion, winning the program’s 41st league title at the Pac-12 men’s rowing championships at Lake Natoma in Gold River, Calif.

From Seattle Times • May 19, 2024

“And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” Musk posted on the site.

From Washington Times • Dec. 24, 2023

Muhammad and I have to hustle to catch up with her after we bid adieu to her friends.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023