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• add
  add

  verb (used with object)

  to unite or join so as to increase the number, quantity, size, or importance.
• ADD
  ADD

  abbreviation

  attention deficit disorder: the inattentive subtype of ADHD, usually marked by distractibility and difficulties with executive function.

add

¹ American  

[ad] / æd /

verb (used with object)

• adds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• added,
  past participle,  past
• adding
  present participle

1. to unite or join so as to increase the number, quantity, size, or importance.

   to add two cups of sugar; to add a postscript to her letter;

   to add insult to injury.

   Synonyms:

   adjoin, attach, append, affix

2. to find the sum of (often followed byup ).

   Add this column of figures.

   Add up the grocery bills.

   Synonyms:

   sum, total

3. to say or write further.

4. to include (usually followed byin ).

   Don't forget to add in the tip.

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verb (used without object)

• adds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• added,
  past participle,  past
• adding
  present participle

1. to perform the arithmetic operation of addition.

   children learning to add and subtract.

2. to be or serve as an addition (usually followed byto ).

   His illness added to the family's troubles.

noun

1. Journalism. copy added to a completed story.

verb phrase

1. add up to to signify; indicate.

   The evidence adds up to a case of murder.

idioms

1. add up,

   1. to make the desired, expected, or correct total.

      These figures don't add up right.

   2. to seem reasonable or consistent; be in harmony or accord.

      Some aspects of the story didn't add up.

ADD ² American  

[ey-dee-dee] / ˈeɪˈdiˈdi /

abbreviation

1. attention deficit disorder: the inattentive subtype of ADHD, usually marked by distractibility and difficulties with executive function.

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add ¹ British  

/ æd /

verb

1. to combine (two or more numbers or quantities) by addition

2. to increase (a number or quantity) by another number or quantity using addition

3. to join (something) to something else in order to increase the size, quantity, effect, or scope; unite (with)

   to add insult to injury

4. to have an extra and increased effect (on)

   her illness added to his worries

5. (tr) to say or write further

6. to include

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noun

1. informal an instance of adding someone to one's list of contacts on a social networking site, esp MySpace

   Thanks for the add!

ADD ² British  

abbreviation

1. attention deficit disorder

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ADD Scientific  

1. Abbreviation of attention deficit disorder

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misadd
  verb
• readd
  verb (used with object)
• addable
  adjective
• addible
  adjective
• unaddable
  adjective
• unadded
  adjective
• unaddible
  adjective
• addedly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• adding
  present
• added
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• add
  simple
• adds
  simple
• have added
  perfect
• has added
  perfect
• am adding
  progressive
• are adding
  progressive
• is adding
  progressive
• have been adding
  perfect progressive
• has been adding
  perfect progressive

Past

• added
  simple
• had added
  perfect
• was adding
  progressive
• were adding
  progressive
• had been adding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will add
  simple
• will have added
  perfect
• will be adding
  progressive
• will have been adding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of add¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English adden, from Latin addere, equivalent to ad- ad- + -dere “to put” (combining form; see do ¹)

Origin of ADD²

First recorded in 1975–80

Explanation

When you add, you join two or more things together. If you add on to your summer cottage, you build an extra room that's connected to your existing house. If your boss adds ten dollars to your paycheck, she gives you the money in addition to, or on top of, your salary. And when you add a column of numbers, you combine each one in the list until you get a final answer. You might verbally add something by making one last statement: "I'd like to add that I can't wait to visit again!" The Latin root is addere, "add to, join, or attach."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

add ADD adds added adding

Let’s do some fun math instead—like how these recommendations from my colleagues might add up to an enjoyable evening for you:

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

The Bruno Guimaraes signing is massive, to add to a midfield that already boasts Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Union workers at the Social Security Administration want the agency to add 20,000 more employees and expand its budget to better serve 75 million retired workers and dependents and people with disabilities.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

It “signals Treasury’s discomfort with the rise in long-term yields and should help restrain further increases in long-end yields in the near term,” they add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

“Mostly just inside my own head,” I add.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Maybe, as certain people have suggested to me, we’re all a little ADD.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

"Women are raised in a different way," DeGeneres says, before sharing a personal moment about growing up in a neglectful home, and having OCD and ADD.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2024

“I have ADD and I’m dyslexic, so learning a lot of dialogue was always very daunting,” said Saldaña in an interview prior to the start of the actors strike.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 20, 2023

“I was diagnosed with ADD when I was in 9th grade after a couple of years of not knowing why I couldn’t keep up,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2023

Ironically, the last time I was at UCI, I was in their Child Development Center being treated for ADD when I was eight years old.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

They are almost 20% of tax revenue "larger than defence", he adds.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

“It’s actually been a lot of fun,” Morris adds, low-key and affable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

The sooner families like you start investing, the more time they have to grow their college fund through the magic of compounding, the JP Morgan report adds.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

"The lady I was with at the time had to dive to one side," he adds.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

The Fugitive Slave Act adds new rules for stricter federal enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

He added that the bad smell coming from the river "doesn't help" and he and others report cases of pollution to NRW "all the time", but "nothing seems to be done".

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

A panel of specialists would be set up for his treatment, with his sister, medical doctor Uzma Khan, allowed to take part, the court added.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

The 10-year yield added 0.046 percentage points to 4.697%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

He added that big tariff refunds have been adding to the government’s red ink, but “we won’t have to do that again.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

“I understand that now, C.C. And I’m sorry for doing so,” Duane added delicately.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

The US president also said it was important to "get along" with Kim, adding that Pyongyang now had 57 "very powerful" nuclear weapons.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

The Gen Zers in Betterment’s survey who are aggressive with their investing portfolios are adding sports betting to that list, which is what financial experts balk at.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

SpaceX plans to build a natural gas power plant at a new chip factory, adding to those powering its data centers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

"There was very little interest from the national media," she said, adding that in recent weeks there had been "smaller wildfires in the South that received a lot of coverage".

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

“I read that speech and I said, I agree with every single word of that,” Burry said, adding, “Munger also has a fake eye.”

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• boost
• continue
• include
• reply