marry

[ mar-ee, mer-ee ]

/ ˈmær i, ˈmɛr i /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: marry / married / marrying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), mar·ried, mar·ry·ing.

to take in marriage: After dating for five years, I finally asked her to marry me.

to perform the marriage ceremonies for (two people); join in wedlock: The minister married Susan and Ed.

to give in marriage; arrange the marriage of (often followed by off): Her father wants to marry her to his friend's son. They want to marry off all their children before selling their big home.

to unite intimately: Common economic interests marry the two countries.

to take as an intimate life partner by a formal exchange of promises in the manner of a traditional marriage ceremony.

to combine, connect, or join so as to make more efficient, attractive, or profitable: The latest cameras marry automatic and manual features. A recent merger marries two of the nation's largest corporations.

Nautical.

to lay together (the unlaid strands of two ropes) to be spliced.
to seize (two ropes) together end to end for use as a single line.
to seize (parallel ropes) together at intervals.

to cause (food, liquor, etc.) to blend with other ingredients: to marry malt whiskey with grain whiskey.

verb (used without object), mar·ried, mar·ry·ing.

to wed.

(of two or more foods, wines, etc.) to combine suitably or agreeably; blend: This wine and the strong cheese just don't marry.

QUIZ

CUDDLE UP! A COZY QUIZ ON FALL WORDS HAS ARRIVED

If autumn is your ideal season, spice up your repertoire of "fall" vocabulary with this quiz on some warm and vivid descriptive words for the season.

Question 1 of 10

Which of the following words means “to make a crackling sound; crackle”?

crisp

crepitate

fuscous

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of marry

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)”

how to pronounce marry

See Mary.

OTHER WORDS FROM marry

mar·ri·er, nounnon·mar·ry·ing, adjectiveun·mar·ry·ing, adjective

Words nearby marry

marrowbone, marrowbones, marrowfat, marrow squash, Marruecos, marry, Marryat, Marry in haste, repent at leisure, marry into, marry off, marry up

Other definitions for marry (2 of 2)

marry²

[ mar-ee ]

/ ˈmær i /

interjection Archaic.

(used as an exclamation of surprise, astonishment, etc.)

Origin of marry

1325–75; Middle English; euphemistic variant of Mary (the Virgin)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use marry in a sentence

The Hills, married for nearly 21 years, kissed each other as Lew bent his 6-foot-5 frame into the passenger seat.
A rare disease, a covid diagnosis, a painful decision: The death of basketball coach Lew Hill|Dave Sheinin|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
In 1997, two years after the death of his first wife, he married Charlotte Mailliard Swig, the longtime chief of protocol for the city of San Francisco.
George P. Shultz, counsel and Cabinet member for two Republican presidents, dies at 100|Michael Abramowitz, David Hoffman|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
Ready for replacementSeveral times a year, Domino receives calls from women who are about to be married.
Domino Sugar is replacing its massive neon landmark in Baltimore — and hopes no one will notice a difference|Colin Campbell|February 7, 2021|Washington Post
The two started playing tennis and eventually married in 1982.
Frank Anderson, 87, cared passionately about feeding the homeless in D.C.|Dana Hedgpeth|February 5, 2021|Washington Post

I had my first attack of anxiety in third grade and it wasn’t until I was married with children that I learned how to keep it from controlling my life.
Coronavirus is testing those of us with anxiety. We need to have mental health help available when the pandemic ends.|Sarah Vander Schaaff|January 30, 2021|Washington Post
That man was Xavier Cortada, a gay man who wrote of his frustration that he and his partner of eight years were unable to marry.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The star announces he is to marry his 27-year-old boyfriend.
Meet Stephen Fry’s Future Husband (Who Is Less Than Half His Age)|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It happened on Glee and in Sex and The City, and now in Japan women can marry themselves.
Why Singles Should Say ‘I Don’t’ to The Self-Marriage Movement|Tim Teeman|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most critically, the split perspectives of Noah and Alison need to marry more elegantly.
What On Earth Is ‘The Affair’ About? Season One’s Baffling Finale|Tim Teeman|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hearst is to be released from prison and is planning to marry.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"The man did not marry her for love," the Elder went on now somewhat more confident.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
He shan't marry me without your consent, so don't be angry and abuse us all; for which you will be sorry an hour hence.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
Does he think that he can force a handsome jolly young bachelor, like his son Gilbert, to marry the like o' her?
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
It is commonly said: If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and marry another man, shall he return to her any more?
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
In 1855 Congress passed an act conferring citizenship on alien women who should marry American citizens.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for marry (1 of 2)

marry¹

/ (ˈmærɪ) /

verb -ries, -rying or -ried

to take (someone as one's partner) in marriage

(tr) to join or give in marriage

(tr) to acquire (something) by marriagemarry money

to unite closely or intimately

(tr sometimes foll by up) to fit together or align (two things); join

(tr) nautical

to match up (the strands) of unlaid ropes before splicing
to seize (two ropes) together at intervals along their lengths

Derived forms of marry

marrier, noun

Word Origin for marry

C13: from Old French marier, from Latin marītāre, from marītus married (man), perhaps from mās male

British Dictionary definitions for marry (2 of 2)

marry²

/ (ˈmærɪ) /

interjection

archaic an exclamation of surprise, anger, etc

Word Origin for marry

C14: euphemistic for the Virgin Mary

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

marry

Origin of marry

how to pronounce marry

OTHER WORDS FROM marry

Words nearby marry

Other definitions for marry (2 of 2)

Origin of marry

Words related to marry

How to use marry in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for marry (1 of 2)

Derived forms of marry

Word Origin for marry

British Dictionary definitions for marry (2 of 2)

Word Origin for marry