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)
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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:
A UK government spokesperson said: "We expect all foreign diplomats in the UK to abide by our laws, in the same way we expect all UK diplomats to do so when posted overseas."
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
The second, AB 1795, would require insurers to abide by those standards in the claims process and do so in a timely manner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
The long answer is that you must abide by the “deemed-filing rule.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
He called on the supporters of Khan, who remains a dominant political personality, to abide by the party's agreement with the court that there "must not be any crowding or commotion".
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
He felt somehow that they must abide by the rules of the verse, waiting until day’s first hour on the night of the full moon.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Time on the Western Isles passes like “a slow tide,” Mr. Stuart writes, and the novel abides by that erosive pace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 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
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
Burning Man abides by 10 principles, one being decommodification.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025
Because improv is an art form governed by a series of rules, and they want to make sure that when they’re up onstage, everyone abides by those rules.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
"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
Twelvvy abided and responded, "I just know it's AWGE".
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2025
The former Spanish colony was annexed by the U.S. in 1898 and has abided by the U.S.
From Salon ● Jan. 9, 2025
When I was first banned I abided by the rules and regulations of my persecutors.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Property records show that the sprawling abode is currently available to rent for the sky-high sum of $75,000 a month.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
He’s now a professor of modern history at the University of St. Andrews, the sort of place that might send a shudder down the fellowship at his former abode.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Hindus regard Kailash as the abode of deities Shiva and Parvati, while Tibetan Buddhists associate it with Mount Meru, which they say is the centre of the universe.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
The resulting abode offers six bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, and is described as a “one-of-a-kind architectural masterpiece.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
They seemed to be carved out of huge blocks of stone, immovable, and yet they were aware: some dreadful spirit of evil vigilance abode in them.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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
In a response to questions for this article, Srinivasan wrote on X that the Instagram post was a hoax, and that “we respect Malaysia’s sovereignty and are abiding by all Malaysian law.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
In the abiding spirit of the Americans who believed in and built that promise, this year’s series on how to think about constitutional meaning is limited only by what you, the people, can imagine.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Instead of abiding by existing trading hours for traditional derivatives exchanges, perpetual contracts trade 24 hours, seven days a week, with cash settlement occurring at regular intervals.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026
But Perry, with his sharp and scratchy intuitions, had hit upon Dick’s one abiding doubt.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
