marry
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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marries,
present (3rd person singular)
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married,
past participle, past
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marrying
present participle
-
to take in marriage.
After being together for five years, I finally asked her to marry me.
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to perform the marriage ceremonies for (two people); join in wedlock.
The minister married Susan and Ed.
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to give in marriage; arrange the marriage of (often followed byoff ): They want to marry off all their children before selling their big home.
Her father wants to marry her to his friend's son.
They want to marry off all their children before selling their big home.
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to unite intimately.
Common economic interests marry the two countries.
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to take as an intimate life partner by a formal exchange of promises in the manner of a traditional marriage ceremony.
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to combine, connect, or join so as to make more efficient, attractive, or profitable: A recent merger marries two of the nation's largest corporations.
The latest cameras marry automatic and manual features.
A recent merger marries two of the nation's largest corporations.
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Nautical.
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to lay together (the unlaid strands of two ropes) to be spliced.
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to seize (two ropes) together end to end for use as a single line.
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to seize (parallel ropes) together at intervals.
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to cause (food, liquor, etc.) to blend with other ingredients.
to marry malt whiskey with grain whiskey.
verb (used without object)
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marries,
present (3rd person singular)
-
married,
past participle, past
-
marrying
present participle
-
to wed.
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(of two or more foods, wines, etc.) to combine suitably or agreeably; blend.
This wine and the strong cheese just don't marry.
interjection
verb
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to take (someone as one's partner) in marriage
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(tr) to join or give in marriage
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(tr) to acquire (something) by marriage
marry money
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to unite closely or intimately
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to fit together or align (two things); join
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(tr) nautical
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to match up (the strands) of unlaid ropes before splicing
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to seize (two ropes) together at intervals along their lengths
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interjection
Pronunciation
See Mary.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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marrysimple
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marriessimple
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have marriedperfect
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has marriedperfect
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am marryingprogressive
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are marryingprogressive
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is marryingprogressive
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have been marryingperfect progressive
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has been marryingperfect progressive
Past
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marriedsimple
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had marriedperfect
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was marryingprogressive
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were marryingprogressive
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had been marryingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of marry1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English marien, from Old French marier, from Latin marītāre “to wed,” derivative of marītus “conjugal,” akin to mās “male (person)”
Origin of marry2
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English Mari(e), marie, mare , euphemistic variant of Mary (the Virgin)
Explanation
To marry someone is to make an official, ceremonial commitment to be partners. You can marry someone in a church, barefoot on a beach, or in a courthouse. Some people marry their long-time sweethearts, while others abruptly choose to marry after knowing each other briefly. The officiant who leads the wedding ceremony, whether they're a judge or an ordained minister who's also an Elvis impersonator, is the person who marries the happy couple. The Latin root is maritare, "to wed or marry," and also "to give in marriage."
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:
"Ask yourself: 'Who would marry me after I get my divorce?'" says Sarhadi.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
His appeal as a filmmaker lies in his stylistic flair; the joy comes from watching him marry the aesthetically manicured with the ideologically bizarre.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
Once they arrived, Schalk turned to Rodriguez, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
The American spouse would receive up to $30,000 to marry the foreign national.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
“And you supported her when she wanted to marry Papi?”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
The English-language version of the story - Your Fault: London, story follows Noah, who moves to the capital city after her mother marries a wealthy businessman.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
If your daughter is married or marries sometime in the future, she can decide how much of her inheritance will be commingled with her spouse’s finances.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
She abandons her academic and career ambitions, takes a job as a court interpreter, and marries Michael, an affable nurse who has little idea of her emotional burdens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
“Amongst Women” depicts this claustrophobic domain in restrained prose that is infused with tension when Moran marries again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026
When she’s twenty-seven, Cady marries a well-to-do man from the country, named Simon.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
The pair were married for 60 years, until his death in 2025.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
She was married to the same man, Carl Thomas Dean, for over 50 years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
And he says, “I live in Brazil. I’m married, I have two kids.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
I have never been married and I have no children.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
“You should have more respect for fear. It’s the engine in all your human history, fear. Fear, married to greed, married to power.”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
A man who has spent seven years reviewing more than 300 public benches has finally awarded his first-ever 10/10 score, after marrying the woman he loves close to it.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Simpson said he had begun to “put the puzzle pieces together,” marrying concepts with lessons learned watching Stafford and Bennett.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Cookie Glatzel, who identifies as nonbinary, kept their last name after marrying their wife.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Thorny will do anything to keep Farva from marrying into his family, which is admittedly one of the easier campaigns for an audience to get behind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Bertus may be a nice, steady, athletic young man, but Bep doesn’t love him, and to me that’s enough reason to advise her against marrying him.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
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.
