wade
verb (used without object)
to walk in water, when partially immersed.
wade
1 American
[wayd]
/ weɪd /
verb (used without object)
-
wades,
present (3rd person singular)
-
waded,
past participle, past
-
wading
present participle
-
to walk in water, when partially immersed.
He wasn't swimming, he was wading.
-
to play in water.
The children were wading in the pool most of the afternoon.
-
to walk through water, snow, sand, or any other substance that impedes free motion or offers resistance to movement.
to wade through the mud.
-
to make one's way slowly or laboriously (often followed bythrough ).
to wade through a dull book.
-
Obsolete. to go or proceed.
verb (used with object)
-
wades,
present (3rd person singular)
-
waded,
past participle, past
-
wading
present participle
noun
verb phrase
Wade
2
American
[wayd]
/ weɪd /
noun
-
Benjamin Franklin, 1800–78, U.S. lawyer and antislavery politician.
-
a male given name.
wade
1
British
/ weɪd /
verb
-
to walk with the feet immersed in (water, a stream, etc)
the girls waded the river at the ford
-
to proceed with difficulty
to wade through a book
-
(intr; foll by in or into) to attack energetically
noun
Wade
2
British
/ weɪd /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
wadesimple
-
wadessimple
-
have wadedperfect
-
has wadedperfect
-
am wadingprogressive
-
are wadingprogressive
-
is wadingprogressive
-
have been wadingperfect progressive
-
has been wadingperfect progressive
Past
-
wadedsimple
-
had wadedperfect
-
was wadingprogressive
-
were wadingprogressive
-
had been wadingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wade
before 900; Middle English waden to go, wade, Old English wadan to go; cognate with German waten, Old Norse vatha; akin to Old English wæd ford, sea, Latin vadum shoal, ford, vādere to go, rush
Explanation
To wade is to walk through water. If you've been fishing without a boat, you'll have to wade to reach your precious prize (if it gets away, you can brag about how big it was). When you wade, it doesn't have to literally be through a liquid; wading includes any action that involves a laborious slog through something that offers resistance. For example, you might attempt to wade through a huge book like Moby Dick. And if you want to get into a fight? Wade right on into the brawling crowd. Or if it's verbal fisticuffs you're after, wade right on in to the debate.
Vocabulary lists containing wade
Vocabulary from Beyoncé's "Lemonade"
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"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman
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100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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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:
Her campaigning style—as evidenced by her return on Sunday—is to wade into crowds, hugging and talking with followers, potentially opening herself up to danger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Officers investigating Sperino's murder realised AI could help them wade through the mountains of evidence they had accumulated since 1993.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
I know that’s a pretty heavy story to wade through, so my colleagues have put together a few lighter reads to help you refocus:
From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026
"I worried if my motorbike would be able to wade through floodwater this much."
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
I would try to wade out away from shore and dip the water there.
From "Lost Boy, Lost Girl" by John Bul Dau
“Thanks in large part to the agreement,” Wade said, “there is a surge in confidence about the future of Venezuela’s oil industry and, as a direct result, substantial new investments are flowing into the country.”
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
Leading retirement researcher Wade Pfau recently weighed in on these fears on his podcast, Retire With Style, saying that many people are dissatisfied with annuities because they are comparing them to stocks.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
Major General Wade Rutland told reporters that during "an outdoor exercise on the Alberta prairie," soldiers were caught off guard by the advancing flames.
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026
Wade, it was cited as why there was no compelling reason for the government to favor increased population.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Max Wade, Jeremy, and Devante landed in the definitely yes gang.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
But on “That’s Not Fair,” the group wades deeper into social commentary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Indonesian villager Octavius wades through the forest in rubber boots and tattered joggers, ears pricked, eyes peeled, a telephoto lens on his phone primed to capture orangutans, monkeys or birds.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
The RSS also wades into economic and foreign policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025
Even when he did write political songs, Bob never wades into the specifics other than “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll,” where he’s literally telling the story of some tragedy, he most often sings obliquely.
From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2024
The Turk in the boat leaps into the water and wades ashore.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
As sellers waded through floodwaters to sell produce like fish and vegetables from floating platforms and foam boxes, buyers walked or paddled between the makeshift stalls to buy their groceries.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
In honor of Slate’s 30th anniversary, Luke waded into the comments section and discovered tales of love, loss, and a vanishing form of online community.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
As he’s spoken to audiences of government officials, diplomats, academics and journalists, Dans — who wears his Arctic commission lapel pin and exudes a professorial air — has also waded into foreign policy.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
Nine hours and 57 minutes after entering the water, the American swimmer waded ashore in France, having broken the world record for the fastest crossing at the age of 15.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
John Henry waded through the bay, knocking debris out of his way with a swipe of his glowing hammer.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Zegan posted a video of people wading through Frontierland as a cast member tried to unclog a drain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
Further southeast, in the On Nut neighbourhood, AFP reporters saw locals wading through knee-high flood waters along a road, as well as filling up sandbags to take home.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Make no mistake: America’s biggest theater chain wading into the indie film distribution business is a bold, risky move that suggests a dedication to both the art of cinema and the curious moviegoer.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
They and other dogwalkers barely glance at the crestfallen migrants wading back to the sand.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
The rest were wading into the water, tossing the pelts into a boat.
From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell
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