marry
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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marries,
present (3rd person singular)
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married,
past participle, past
-
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.
-
(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
-
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
-
has been marryingperfect progressive
Past
-
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:
Years later, Adelaide and Field will find each other and marry, but it will come to nothing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
"She was like a sister. We even got pregnant together - me with my daughter and her with Ariel. They became best friends also. We used to laugh that they were going to marry."
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
By upgrading marriage registries with chandeliers, flower arches and poetry, local Chinese officials are glamorizing city hall weddings in hopes of encouraging young couples to marry and boost the nation’s declining birthrate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Although a techno remix of Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” was blasting in the video, the DJ’s lips are seen mouthing, “Will you marry me?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
“But not everyone does. That awful what’s-his-name who wanted to marry your sister... Wouldn’t take no for an answer. It’s his fault she left!”
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
Lawson marries frozen peas and shredded Little Gem lettuce in her version of petits pois à la française, or French-style peas.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
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
Stand out in a sea of stretchy polos and soulless chinos with attire that marries the look of nostalgic golf style with modern flourishes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
It starts out when they're young and all, and the girl's parents don't want her to marry the boy, but she marries him anyway.
From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
I wanted to do very little beyond sit somewhere pleasant, eat something delicious and enjoy being newly married.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
And to that Justice Alito responded: “After Obergefell, people of the same sex got married and entered into contracts, and so there was much, it was much more concrete.”
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
In “First Love,” Paul Theroux conjures the subtle awkwardness of an older man spending a week in the household of his married son.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
They'd just announced they were getting married and it was in the East Midlands that an American actress would be hard launched as a working member of the Royal Family.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
The couple told Kate and Mother that they were to be married.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Gen Z appears to be marrying later and spending their money differently than previous generations, saving more for things like travel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Sara Kahsai grew up in Sudan but moved to Birmingham, England, in 2022 after a marrying a bus driver from the city.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
For more than 50 years, with a few breaks in between, Squeeze has been making memorable tunes by marrying infectious pop melodies with sophisticated and literate lyrics, often about the complexity of relationships.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Blacknell said Linton called her sister and talked about possibly marrying the actor Will Smith and picking up her niece for school in the moments before the wreck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
“I told you I know what I see when I see it. But the Pastor agrees. Thinks marrying would be good for Henry. Keep him steady.”
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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