Showing results for "would"

• past tense form of will.
• past participle of will.

would

¹ American  

[wood, wuhd] / wʊd, wəd /

auxiliary verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of will.

2. (used to express the future in past sentences).

   He said he would go tomorrow.

3. (used in place of will, to make a statement or form a question less direct or blunt).

   That would scarcely be fair. Would you be so kind?

4. (used to express repeated or habitual action in the past).

   We would visit Grandma every morning up at the farm.

5. (used to express an intention or inclination).

   Nutritionists would have us all eat whole grains.

6. (used to express an uncertainty).

   It would appear that he is guilty.

7. (used in conditional sentences to express choice or possibility).

   They would come if they had the fare. If the temperature were higher, the water would evaporate.

8. would have, (used with a past participle to express unfulfilled intention or preference).

   I would have saved you some but Jimmy took it all.

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verb (used with object)

1. (used to express a wish).

   Would he were here!

idioms

1. would like, (used to express desire).

   I would like to go next year.

2. would rather. rather.

would ² American  

[wohld] / woʊld /

noun

1. weld.

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would British  

/ wʊd, wəd /

verb

1. used as an auxiliary to form the past tense or subjunctive mood of will 1

2. used as an auxiliary to indicate willingness or desire in a polite manner

   would you help me, please?

3. used as an auxiliary to describe a past action as being accustomed or habitual

   every day we would go for walks

4. I wish

   would that he were here

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would More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing would

• as luck would have it
• fly on the wall, would like to be a
• wouldn't

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Commonly Confused

See should.

Etymology

Origin of would

First recorded before 900; Middle English would, wald(e), wold(e), wuld(e), Old English wolde, walde; see origin at will ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

would

“These operations differ widely from operations that occurred before, when immigration agents would actually investigate and develop articulable facts enough to have reasonable suspicion for the person that they were to stop,” Joachín said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

"It would absolutely break my heart to have to sell but it's something that we have to consider," she said, explaining she and her sister now face an estimated £7,000 yearly council tax bill.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Wilson, although admittedly “humbled” by the nod from the filmmaker, wrote: “But I would be ashamed to have written any part of this script.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

For the future, the FIA is working on an update that would calculate expected car position in the case of an irregular refresh rate from the F1 timing system.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Jones said war was coming, and traveling to Southeast Asia would be dangerous.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly