warded

American

[wawr-did] / ˈwɔr dɪd /

adjective

having notches, slots, or wards, as in locks and keys.

warded British

/ ˈwɔːdɪd /

adjective

(of locks, keys, etc) having wards

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of warded

1565–75; ward (noun) + -ed ³

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.

But her supporters argue that only a street fighter like her could have ended Communist rule in the state and, until this week, warded off a determined BJP attempt to oust her party from power.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Their agreement to testify warded off potential contempt-of-Congress proceedings against them.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Infrastructure like the Grapevine might’ve also warded her off.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

The drug, called lolamicin, also warded off secondary infections with Clostridioides difficile, a common and dangerous hospital-associated bacterial infection, and was effective against more than 130 multidrug-resistant bacterial strains in cell culture.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

Whatever night-fancies and night-noises crowded on me, they never warded off this DON’T GO HOME.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

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