betide

American

[bih-tahyd] / bɪˈtaɪd /

verb (used with object)

betided, betiding

to happen to; come to; befall.

Woe betide the villain!

verb (used without object)

betided, betiding

to happen; come to pass.

Whatever betides, maintain your courage.

betide British

/ bɪˈtaɪd /

verb

to happen or happen to; befall (often in the phrase woe betide ( someone ))

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of betide

First recorded in 1125–75, betide is from the Middle English word betiden. See be-, tide ²

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.

A certain life was expected for you, and woe betide you if you went outside of that.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2024

And woe betide any member of the cabinet who upset his mistress.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2023

Woe betide the grounds passholder who shows up at the “wrong” entrance; you may be made to walk several blocks, though several on Monday attempted to argue with U.N. police.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2022

“Woe betide those who clapped him as a saint.”

From Washington Post • Aug. 20, 2019

Woe betide the plant whose genetic program is mismatched to the latitude of the field in which it is planted!

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023