abide
Americanverb (used without object)
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abides,
present (3rd person singular)
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abode,
past participle, past
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abided,
past participle, past
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abiding
present participle
verb (used with object)
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abides,
present (3rd person singular)
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abode,
past participle, past
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abided,
past participle, past
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abiding
present participle
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to put up with; tolerate; stand.
I can't abide dishonesty!
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to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting.
to abide a vigorous onslaught.
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to wait for; await.
to abide the coming of the Lord.
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to accept without opposition or question.
to abide the verdict of the judges.
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to pay the price or penalty of; suffer for.
verb phrase
verb
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(tr) to tolerate; put up with
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(tr) to accept or submit to; suffer
to abide the court's decision
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to comply (with)
to abide by the decision
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to remain faithful (to)
to abide by your promise
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(intr) to remain or continue
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archaic (intr) to dwell
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archaic (tr) to await in expectation
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archaic (tr) to withstand or sustain; endure
to abide the onslaught
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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abidesimple
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abidessimple
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have abidedperfect
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have abodeperfect
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has abidedperfect
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has abodeperfect
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am abidingprogressive
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are abidingprogressive
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is abidingprogressive
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have been abidingperfect progressive
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has been abidingperfect progressive
Past
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abidedsimple
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abodesimple
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had abidedperfect
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had abodeperfect
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was abidingprogressive
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were abidingprogressive
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had been abidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of abide
First recorded before 1000; Middle English abiden, Old English ābīdan; cognate with Old High German irbītan “to await,” Gothic usbeisns “expectation, patience”; equivalent to a- 3 + bide
Explanation
Abide means "to be able to live with or put up with." If you can't abide with something, it means you can't stand it. If you can abide it, it means you can live with it. An old definition of abide is "to live" — think of abode, as in "dwelling." If you abide by the rules, it means you live with them, and you will follow them. If you can't abide your sister's shrill violin playing, it means you can't live with it, you can't be in the house when she's practicing. You abide something you don't like, like your teacher's long stories about math. It's not a pleasant experience, but what choice do you have?
Vocabulary lists containing abide
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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Antigone
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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:
But she’s so loaded, she doesn’t abide by existing train schedules and surprises them all by stopping a train that is supposed to bypass the town.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Upon your mother-in-law’s death, the trust generally becomes irrevocable, and you must abide by its terms.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
Deputy Commissioner Phukan says the administration had complied with the court's demarcation order and would abide by any further directions.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
He called on the supporters of Khan, who remains a dominant political personality, to abide by the party's agreement with the court that there "must not be any crowding or commotion".
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Okay, to be honest, I can abide by the limitation of obviousness, but the “feels” part was a done deal as far as the Wild Boy of Bainbridge Island was concerned.
From "Winger" by Andrew Smith
It also said AI can reduce the manual work involved in making sure the bank abides by changing regulations—a mammoth task for financial institutions since the 2008-9 crisis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Nobody’s perfect, and the longer a piece of art abides, the more likely it is that it’ll start to suck.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2026
A federal monitor will be installed to ensure Live Nation abides by these terms over the next eight years.
From Slate ● Mar. 10, 2026
If you don't understand Spanish then it is perhaps better you search online for the literal translation of the motto which Alcaraz abides by.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
Because improv is an art form governed by a series of rules, and they want to make sure that when they’re up onstage, everyone abides by those rules.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
"For years, Europeans aided and abided flagrant ethical flaws in the international football federation," said Bruen, head of the Global Situation Room strategic communications firm.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
It requires those submitting trophy kills to sign an affidavit swearing they have abided by club technology and other restrictions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
In response, the military said it was surprised by the accusation it was behind the attack, adding that it abided by "international norms and laws".
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
The former Spanish colony was annexed by the U.S. in 1898 and has abided by the U.S.
From Salon ● Jan. 9, 2025
As long as I obeyed my father and abided by the customs of my tribe, I was not troubled by the laws of man or God.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
In the meantime, her own Los Angeles abode became more of a glorified closet than a true home.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
He’s now a professor of modern history at the University of St. Andrews, the sort of place that might send a shudder down the fellowship at his former abode.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Hindus regard Kailash as the abode of deities Shiva and Parvati, while Tibetan Buddhists associate it with Mount Meru, which they say is the centre of the universe.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
The resulting abode offers six bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, and is described as a “one-of-a-kind architectural masterpiece.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
On Ocean’s bank, too, was the abode of the blessed dead.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Regardless of what station they work for, reporters and pilots are constantly helping each other, abiding by unspoken rules to keep each other safe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
What they really want is to be quasi-banks without abiding by the same regulations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
In the abiding spirit of the Americans who believed in and built that promise, this year’s series on how to think about constitutional meaning is limited only by what you, the people, can imagine.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
Instead of abiding by existing trading hours for traditional derivatives exchanges, perpetual contracts trade 24 hours, seven days a week, with cash settlement occurring at regular intervals.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026
The children should have returned exhilarated and with a deep and abiding love for the sea and he should have returned with a fine mess of fish.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
