marry
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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marries,
present (3rd person singular)
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married,
past participle, past
-
marrying
present participle
-
to take in marriage.
After being together for five years, I finally asked her to marry me.
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to perform the marriage ceremonies for (two people); join in wedlock.
The minister married Susan and Ed.
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to give in marriage; arrange the marriage of (often followed byoff ): They want to marry off all their children before selling their big home.
Her father wants to marry her to his friend's son.
They want to marry off all their children before selling their big home.
-
to unite intimately.
Common economic interests marry the two countries.
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to take as an intimate life partner by a formal exchange of promises in the manner of a traditional marriage ceremony.
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to combine, connect, or join so as to make more efficient, attractive, or profitable: A recent merger marries two of the nation's largest corporations.
The latest cameras marry automatic and manual features.
A recent merger marries two of the nation's largest corporations.
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Nautical.
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to lay together (the unlaid strands of two ropes) to be spliced.
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to seize (two ropes) together end to end for use as a single line.
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to seize (parallel ropes) together at intervals.
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to cause (food, liquor, etc.) to blend with other ingredients.
to marry malt whiskey with grain whiskey.
verb (used without object)
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marries,
present (3rd person singular)
-
married,
past participle, past
-
marrying
present participle
-
to wed.
-
(of two or more foods, wines, etc.) to combine suitably or agreeably; blend.
This wine and the strong cheese just don't marry.
interjection
verb
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to take (someone as one's partner) in marriage
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(tr) to join or give in marriage
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(tr) to acquire (something) by marriage
marry money
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to unite closely or intimately
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to fit together or align (two things); join
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(tr) nautical
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to match up (the strands) of unlaid ropes before splicing
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to seize (two ropes) together at intervals along their lengths
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interjection
Pronunciation
See Mary.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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marrysimple
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marriessimple
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have marriedperfect
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has marriedperfect
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am marryingprogressive
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are marryingprogressive
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is marryingprogressive
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have been marryingperfect progressive
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has been marryingperfect progressive
Past
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marriedsimple
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had marriedperfect
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was marryingprogressive
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were marryingprogressive
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had been marryingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of marry1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English marien, from Old French marier, from Latin marītāre “to wed,” derivative of marītus “conjugal,” akin to mās “male (person)”
Origin of marry2
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English Mari(e), marie, mare , euphemistic variant of Mary (the Virgin)
Explanation
To marry someone is to make an official, ceremonial commitment to be partners. You can marry someone in a church, barefoot on a beach, or in a courthouse. Some people marry their long-time sweethearts, while others abruptly choose to marry after knowing each other briefly. The officiant who leads the wedding ceremony, whether they're a judge or an ordained minister who's also an Elvis impersonator, is the person who marries the happy couple. The Latin root is maritare, "to wed or marry," and also "to give in marriage."
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:
Years later, Adelaide and Field will find each other and marry, but it will come to nothing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
She became a citizen last year, and this weekend she will marry a man who made the same move from London three years ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Indian law allows people of different faiths to marry without converting, but requires a month's notice.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Other chapters observe what happens when Thems date or marry Whos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Our foster children grew up and went away to jobs or to marry, but they were often in the house for visits.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Golden Corral scrutinizes buffet waste, marries costly shrimp with cheaper hush puppies and mines data to make money off bottomless offerings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
In the novel, Nyathi's heroine, Joyce, believes she has married into a union of one man and one woman, yet her husband, Jonasi, marries and sets up homes with three other women behind her back.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Lawson marries frozen peas and shredded Little Gem lettuce in her version of petits pois à la française, or French-style peas.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
If your daughter is married or marries sometime in the future, she can decide how much of her inheritance will be commingled with her spouse’s finances.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
At the end, the sheriff marries the woman who owns the saloon, which is a watering hole for humans but not horses.
From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate
I wanted to do very little beyond sit somewhere pleasant, eat something delicious and enjoy being newly married.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
His behaviour got worse after they married and had Jack and Paul.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
By the time he married his teenage sweetheart, Liza, in 2021, he was already planning a life outside of the military.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
And to that Justice Alito responded: “After Obergefell, people of the same sex got married and entered into contracts, and so there was much, it was much more concrete.”
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
When they got married, Uncle Max chose to be a “real old-time Indian” and relocate to the territory of his wife’s people.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The vision of a utopian domestic future took a strange turn during the Cold War, marrying the breathless excitement of the space age with the existential dread of nuclear annihilation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Gen Z appears to be marrying later and spending their money differently than previous generations, saving more for things like travel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Blacknell said Linton called her sister and talked about possibly marrying the actor Will Smith and picking up her niece for school in the moments before the wreck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Harald had been seen as a down to earth "people's king" who had helped to modernise the monarchy, broken with tradition by marrying a commoner and served as a unifying figure.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
“Speak to Lizzy about it yourself. Tell her that you insist upon her marrying him.”
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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