abide
Americanverb (used without object)
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abides,
present (3rd person singular)
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abode,
past participle, past
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abided,
past participle, past
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abiding
present participle
verb (used with object)
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abides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
abode,
past participle, past
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abided,
past participle, past
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abiding
present participle
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to put up with; tolerate; stand.
I can't abide dishonesty!
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to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting.
to abide a vigorous onslaught.
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to wait for; await.
to abide the coming of the Lord.
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to accept without opposition or question.
to abide the verdict of the judges.
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to pay the price or penalty of; suffer for.
verb phrase
verb
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(tr) to tolerate; put up with
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(tr) to accept or submit to; suffer
to abide the court's decision
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to comply (with)
to abide by the decision
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to remain faithful (to)
to abide by your promise
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(intr) to remain or continue
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archaic (intr) to dwell
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archaic (tr) to await in expectation
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archaic (tr) to withstand or sustain; endure
to abide the onslaught
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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abidesimple
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abidessimple
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have abidedperfect
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have abodeperfect
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has abidedperfect
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has abodeperfect
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am abidingprogressive
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are abidingprogressive
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is abidingprogressive
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have been abidingperfect progressive
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has been abidingperfect progressive
Past
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abidedsimple
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abodesimple
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had abidedperfect
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had abodeperfect
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was abidingprogressive
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were abidingprogressive
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had been abidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of abide
First recorded before 1000; Middle English abiden, Old English ābīdan; cognate with Old High German irbītan “to await,” Gothic usbeisns “expectation, patience”; equivalent to a- 3 + bide
Explanation
Abide means "to be able to live with or put up with." If you can't abide with something, it means you can't stand it. If you can abide it, it means you can live with it. An old definition of abide is "to live" — think of abode, as in "dwelling." If you abide by the rules, it means you live with them, and you will follow them. If you can't abide your sister's shrill violin playing, it means you can't live with it, you can't be in the house when she's practicing. You abide something you don't like, like your teacher's long stories about math. It's not a pleasant experience, but what choice do you have?
Vocabulary lists containing abide
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Antigone
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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.
See Examples For:
In order for the plan to work, all sororities would have to abide by it, Cutforth reckoned, and so the vote would have to be unanimous.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had no advanced notice of the agreement, although he said his nation would abide by it.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
McKinsey’s Kelkar called it “impossible” to abide by the FCC’s restrictions without onshoring actuator manufacturing.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
But she’s so loaded, she doesn’t abide by existing train schedules and surprises them all by stopping a train that is supposed to bypass the town.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
“They will abide by the law. They will bring her to trial, I suppose. If she can prove herself innocent she is safe enough.”
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
Nobody’s perfect, and the longer a piece of art abides, the more likely it is that it’ll start to suck.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2026
A federal monitor will be installed to ensure Live Nation abides by these terms over the next eight years.
From Slate ● Mar. 10, 2026
UnitedHealth said he abides by its conflict-of-interest policies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
If you don't understand Spanish then it is perhaps better you search online for the literal translation of the motto which Alcaraz abides by.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
Does it despise us scythes, but abides us because it has to?
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
"For years, Europeans aided and abided flagrant ethical flaws in the international football federation," said Bruen, head of the Global Situation Room strategic communications firm.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
It requires those submitting trophy kills to sign an affidavit swearing they have abided by club technology and other restrictions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
The company added that it abided with the law in Los Angeles County and “every jurisdiction where we operate.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
Twelvvy abided and responded, "I just know it's AWGE".
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2025
When I was first banned I abided by the rules and regulations of my persecutors.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Kathie Lee Gifford moved to Nashville in 2019 after leaving her hosting gig on the “Today” show, reportedly snapping up a $3.7 million 7,965-square-foot abode.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
She picked up one abode in 2017 for just under $10 million but sold that off just three years later, having renovated the home extensively before deciding to put it back on the market.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Kris, who is now in a relationship with talent manager Corey Gamble, has also expanded her property portfolio and no longer uses the enormous abode as her primary residence.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Pop icon Selena Gomez has officially offloaded her sprawling Encino abode for $5.399 million—four months after listing the property and shortly after picking up a $35 million marital mansion.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 24, 2026
They were obviously no longer safe in their little mountain abode.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
That title is something of a metaphor, about connecting to a deep, abiding spirituality accessible to us all.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
Regardless of what station they work for, reporters and pilots are constantly helping each other, abiding by unspoken rules to keep each other safe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
What they really want is to be quasi-banks without abiding by the same regulations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
"We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules," she said on social media.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
For several weeks it was not at all clear whether Jefferson would become the next abiding occupant, because the final tally of the electoral vote had produced a tie between him and Burr.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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