welcome

[wel-kuh m]

See more synonyms for welcome on Thesaurus.com

interjection

(a word of kindly greeting, as to one whose arrival gives pleasure): Welcome, stranger!

noun

a kindly greeting or reception, as to one whose arrival gives pleasure: to give someone a warm welcome.

verb (used with object), wel·comed, wel·com·ing.

to greet the arrival of (a person, guests, etc.) with pleasure or kindly courtesy.
to receive or accept with pleasure; regard as pleasant or good: to welcome a change.
to meet, accept, or receive (an action, challenge, person, etc.) in a specified, especially unfriendly, manner: They welcomed him with hisses and catcalls.

adjective

gladly received, as one whose arrival gives pleasure: a welcome visitor.
agreeable, as something arriving, occurring, or experienced: a welcome rest.
given full right by the cordial consent of others: She is welcome to try it.
without obligation for the courtesy or favor received (used as a conventional response to expressions of thanks): You're quite welcome.

Idioms

wear out one's welcome, to make one's visits so frequent or of such long duration that they become offensive: Your cousins have long since worn out their welcome.

Origin of welcome

before 900; Middle English < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse velkominn, equivalent to vel well¹ + kominn come (past participle); replacing Old English wilcuma one who is welcome, equivalent to wil- welcome (see will²) + cuma comer

Related formswel·come·ness, nounwel·com·er, nounpre·wel·come, noun, verb (used with object), pre·wel·comed, pre·wel·com·ing.un·wel·come, adjectiveun·wel·comed, adjectiveun·wel·com·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for unwelcome

Contemporary Examples

In state after state that once called the president its favorite son, he is finding that his political advocacy is unwelcome.
Even Hawaii Hates Obama Now
David Freedlander
August 8, 2014
In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, Shi described one unwelcome encounter with Zhang.
Yahoo’s Accused Sexual Harasser Asked Women to Wear More Skirts at Work
Olivia Nuzzi
July 14, 2014
The unwelcome outsiders surrendered and were taken by the Bateses as POWs.
Welcome to Sealand: a Sovereign Nation
Nina Strochlic
February 20, 2014
At the time I was processing an unwelcome reality: I was sexually abused by my uncle.
I Lived Dylan Farrow’s Story
Jessica Dawson
February 3, 2014
But he was soon pleasantly surprised by what he found: gays were not as unwelcome and under the gun as he had imagined.
Pakistan’s Gay Community Quietly Breaking Barriers
Ron Moreau, Sami Yousafzai
October 30, 2013

Historical Examples

She had left these two boys, unwelcome appendages in his sight.
The Armourer's Prentices
Charlotte M. Yonge
This was the most unwelcome intelligence he could have received.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
The task now imposed upon him was a most distasteful and unwelcome one.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
With the chill of unwelcome still upon them the officers said little.
The Rock of Chickamauga
Joseph A. Altsheler
And again, the recollection of the signal-whistle heard by Molly was unwelcome.
The Slave Of The Lamp
Henry Seton Merriman

British Dictionary definitions for unwelcome

unwelcome

adjective

(of persons) not welcome
causing dissatisfaction or displeasure

Derived Formsunwelcomely, adverbunwelcomeness, noun

welcome

adjective

gladly and cordially received or admitteda welcome guest
bringing pleasure or gratitudea welcome gift
freely permitted or invitedyou are welcome to call
under no obligation (only in such phrases as you're welcome or he's welcome, as conventional responses to thanks)

sentence substitute

an expression of cordial greeting, esp to a person whose arrival is desired or pleasing

noun

the act of greeting or receiving a person or thing; receptionthe new theory had a cool welcome
wear out one's welcome to come more often or stay longer than is acceptable or pleasing

verb (tr)

to greet the arrival of (visitors, guests, etc) cordially or gladly
to receive or accept, esp gladly

Derived Formswelcomely, adverbwelcomeness, nounwelcomer, noun

Word Origin

C12: changed (through influence of well 1) from Old English wilcuma (agent noun referring to a welcome guest), wilcume (a greeting of welcome), from wil will ² + cuman to come

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

Word Origin and History for unwelcome

adj.

early 14c., from un- (1) "not" + welcome (adj.). Cf. Middle Dutch onwillecome, German unwillkommen.

welcome

v.

Old English wilcumian, from wilcuma (see welcome (n.)). Related: Welcomed; welcoming.

welcome

n.

Old English wilcuma, exclamation of kindly greeting, from earlier wilcuma (n.) "welcome guest," literally "one whose coming is in accord with another's will," from willa "pleasure, desire, choice" (see will (v.)) + cuma "guest," related to cuman (see come). Cf. Old High German willicomo, Middle Dutch wellecome. Meaning "entertainment or public reception as a greeting" is recorded from 1530. You're welcome as a formulaic response to thank you is attested from 1907. Welcome mat first recorded 1951; welcome wagon is attested from 1961.

Idioms and Phrases with unwelcome

welcome

see warm welcome; wear out one's welcome; you're welcome.

welcome

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}welcome

Related Words

Examples from the Web for unwelcome

Contemporary Examples

In state after state that once called the president its favorite son, he is finding that his political advocacy is unwelcome.

In an interview with the San Jose Mercury News, Shi described one unwelcome encounter with Zhang.

The unwelcome outsiders surrendered and were taken by the Bateses as POWs.

At the time I was processing an unwelcome reality: I was sexually abused by my uncle.

But he was soon pleasantly surprised by what he found: gays were not as unwelcome and under the gun as he had imagined.

Historical Examples

She had left these two boys, unwelcome appendages in his sight.

This was the most unwelcome intelligence he could have received.

The task now imposed upon him was a most distasteful and unwelcome one.

With the chill of unwelcome still upon them the officers said little.

And again, the recollection of the signal-whistle heard by Molly was unwelcome.

unwelcome

welcome

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for unwelcome

adj.

welcome

v.

welcome

n.

Idioms and Phrases with unwelcome

welcome

Origin of welcome