serve
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to act as a servant.
- Synonyms:
- attend
-
to wait on table, as a waiter.
- Synonyms:
- attend
-
to offer or have a meal or refreshments available, as for patrons or guests.
Come early, we're serving at six.
-
to offer or distribute a portion or portions of food or a beverage, as a host or hostess.
It was her turn to serve at the faculty tea.
-
to render assistance; be of use; help.
-
to go through a term of service, do duty as a soldier, sailor, senator, juror, etc.
-
to have definite use.
This cup will serve as a sugar bowl.
-
to answer the purpose.
That will serve to explain my actions.
-
(in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) to put the ball or shuttlecock in play with a stroke, swing, or hit.
-
to be favorable, suitable, or convenient, as weather or time.
-
Ecclesiastical. to act as a server.
verb (used with object)
-
to be in the service of; work for.
-
to be useful or of service to; help.
-
to go through (a term of service, imprisonment, etc.).
-
to render active service to (a sovereign, commander, etc.).
-
to render obedience or homage to (God, a sovereign, etc.).
-
to perform the duties of (a position, an office, etc.).
to serve his mayoralty.
-
to answer the requirements of; suffice.
This will serve our needs for the moment.
-
to contribute to; promote.
to serve a cause.
-
to wait upon at table; act as a waiter or waitress to.
-
to carry and distribute (portions of food or drink) to a patron or a specific table, as a waiter or waitress.
-
to act as a host or hostess in offering (a person) a portion of food or drink.
May I serve you with some tea and cake?
-
to act as a host or hostess in offering or distributing (a portion or portions of food or drink) to another.
They served tea and cake to their guests.
-
to provide with a regular or continuous supply of something.
-
(in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) to put (the ball or shuttlecock) in play.
-
to treat in a specified manner.
That served him ill.
-
Law.
-
to make legal delivery of (a process or writ).
-
to present (a person) with a writ.
-
-
to gratify (desire, wants, needs, etc.).
-
(of a male animal) to mate with; service.
-
to operate or keep in action (a gun, artillery, etc.).
-
Nautical. to wrap (a rope) tightly with small stuff, keeping the turns as close together as possible.
-
Slang. to present or embody (a particular aesthetic, persona, or quality) in a confident or captivating way.
noun
idioms
verb
-
to be in the service of (a person)
-
to render or be of service to (a person, cause, etc); help
-
(in a shop) to give (customers) information about articles for sale and to hand over articles purchased
-
(tr) to provide (guests, customers, etc) with food, drink, etc
she served her guests with cocktails
-
to distribute or provide (food, drink, etc) for guests, customers, etc
do you serve coffee?
-
to present (food, drink, etc) in a specified manner
cauliflower served with cheese sauce
-
(tr) to provide with a regular supply of
-
(tr) to work actively for
to serve the government
-
(tr) to pay homage to
to serve God
-
to answer the requirements of; suit
this will serve my purpose
-
(intr; may take an infinitive) to have a use; function
this wood will serve to build a fire
-
to go through (a period of service, enlistment, imprisonment, etc)
-
(intr) (of weather, conditions, etc) to be favourable or suitable
-
Also: service. (tr) (of a male animal) to copulate with (a female animal)
-
sport to put (the ball) into play
-
(intr) RC Church to act as server at Mass or other services
-
(tr) to deliver (a legal document, esp a writ or summons) to (a person)
-
to provide (a machine, etc) with an impulse or signal for control purposes or with a continuous supply of fuel, working material, etc
-
(tr) nautical to bind (a rope, spar, etc) with wire or fine cord to protect it from chafing, etc See also seize
-
informal to pay a person back, esp for wrongful or foolish treatment or behaviour
noun
-
sport short for service 1
-
a portion or helping of food or drink
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
overserveverb (used with object)
-
servableadjective
-
serveableadjective
-
underservedadjective
-
unservableadjective
-
unservedadjective
-
well-servedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
servesimple
-
servessimple
-
have servedperfect
-
has servedperfect
-
am servingprogressive
-
are servingprogressive
-
is servingprogressive
-
have been servingperfect progressive
-
has been servingperfect progressive
Past
-
servedsimple
-
had servedperfect
-
was servingprogressive
-
were servingprogressive
-
had been servingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of serve
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English serven, from Old French servir, from Latin servīre, equivalent to serv(us) “enslaved person” ( cf. serf) + -īre, infinitive suffix
Explanation
To serve is to perform a role or function. While your co-worker is out sick, you gladly serve as his replacement until he gets better. Serve comes from the Latin word for servant or slave, but you can serve people without being subordinate to them. You might serve your family hamburgers for dinner, or serve the tennis ball. If you serve a cause, you devote yourself to it. Bug repellant will serve you well on a summer fishing trip. In prison you serve time. If you're elected Mayor, you'll serve a term of three or four years.
Vocabulary lists containing serve
The Smashing Lexicon of Tennis
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Challenge"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
5th Grade Government Vocabulary, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
“You were elected to serve New Yorkers,” he wrote on social media Tuesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
“In the army, you don’t get to choose who you serve with. In the army, you follow orders and do your job.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Environmental campaigners welcomed Monday's conviction, saying it will serve as a deterrent to other politicians and businessmen financing the activities of illegal miners.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“The overwhelming majority of our employees serve our communities with integrity, professionalism, and distinction every day, and they deserve to work alongside individuals who uphold those same standards,” the statement read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
When it tastes good to you, get as many plates as you need and serve up some migas.
From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones
The academy serves an area which experiences higher-than-average deprivation levels, with more than 50% of students at the school eligible for free school meals.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The visit request had also included Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, Milei's sister Karina, who serves in his government, and a translator.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
The agency, based between New York and Los Angeles, often serves clients who rotate across their five to 10 homes, with full staff at each property.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Its surface therefore serves as a much more complete archive of ancient impacts.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
Though there has been no word between Bono and myself, there is communication enough as we pass; the sight of his still-bloated eye serves as apt reminder of our struggle.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
He joined in 1986 and served as MP in the Welsh constituency of Rhondda and Ogmore since 2001.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Hormuz and a handful of maritime straits around the world have served as the linchpin of global trade since the 16th century and have fuelled geopolitical rivalries throughout history.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Which seafood may be served in a style called Kilpatrick?
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
The superintendent himself served as the master of ceremonies, with performers weaving around him, cameos by celebrities, and slide projections and film sequences appearing on cue to supplement his applause and laugh lines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
And it’s nice to just sit and be served.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Burnham is a huge rugby league fan, serving as president of the Rugby Football League and is a Leigh Leopards supporter.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
In 2011, Dimon named him head of the mortgage department—replacing Scharf—after former Marine Captain Jonathan Rowles testified before Congress about how JPMorgan had illegally foreclosed on his house while he was serving on active duty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Rather than merely serving as an establishment where people are in and out the door, Turner said bookstores invite customers to stay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The 76-year-old is the former top associate of the organization's kingpin founder, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison in Colorado.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
By the start of 1967, nearly 400,000 Americans were serving in Vietnam.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
