wade

[ weyd ]

/ weɪd /

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verb (used without object), wad·ed, wad·ing.

to walk in water, when partially immersed: He wasn't swimming, he was wading.

to play in water: The children were wading in the pool most of the afternoon.

to walk through water, snow, sand, or any other substance that impedes free motion or offers resistance to movement: to wade through the mud.

to make one's way slowly or laboriously (often followed by through): to wade through a dull book.

Obsolete. to go or proceed.

verb (used with object), wad·ed, wad·ing.

to pass through or cross by wading; ford: to wade a stream.

noun

an act or instance of wading: We went for a wade in the shallows.

Verb Phrases

wade in / into

to begin energetically.
to attack strongly: to wade into a thoughtless child; to wade into a mob of rioters.

OTHER WORDS FOR wade

4 labor, toil, plod, plow, work.

See synonyms for wade on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of wade

before 900; Middle English waden to go, wade, Old English wadan to go; cognate with German waten,Old Norse vatha; akin to Old English wæd ford, sea, Latin vadum shoal, ford, vādere to go, rush

OTHER WORDS FROM wade

un·wad·ed, adjectiveun·wad·ing, adjective

Other definitions for wade (2 of 2)

Wade

[ weyd ]

/ weɪd /

noun

Benjamin Franklin, 1800–78, U.S. lawyer and antislavery politician.

a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wade in a sentence

An older white woman who had waded into the crowd, turned to the four younger women behind her.
‘They Let Him Off?’ Scenes from NYC in Disbelief|Jacob Siegel|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But if Clinton waded into the natural gas debate, she entirely avoided the Keystone one.
Hillary Praises Fracking, Stays Silent on Keystone|David Freedlander|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Later that month, Rivers waded into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Joan Rivers: 'Death Is Like Plastic Surgery'|Tim Teeman|September 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If there are no police around, you might see women who have waded into the water, fully dressed in coats, pants and headscarves.
Operation Wholesome Sea: Iran Coast Guard Forces Women Off Beaches|IranWire|May 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He was “overcome with fear,” at which point he waded through the darkness in order to retrieve his gun from under the bed.
Oscar Pistorius’s Sobbing Fit On The Witness Stand|Kelly Berold|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The reindeer swam through the deep water and waded out to the opposite bank.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
Two boys waded out into the sea, one with a stick, and the other with a quantity of burning chips.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
She sat sewing daily by the swimming pool while Benny sailed wonderful boats of chips, and waded around to his heart's content.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
She waded back to the beach, to the point towards which Mr Bellingham was directing his horse.
Ruth|Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Then he waded out and brought in his prizes, the fourth duck having escaped into the swamp-grass.
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail|Arthur R. Thompson

British Dictionary definitions for wade (1 of 2)

wade

/ (weɪd) /

verb

to walk with the feet immersed in (water, a stream, etc)the girls waded the river at the ford

(intr often foll by through) to proceed with difficultyto wade through a book

(intr; foll by in or into) to attack energetically

noun

the act or an instance of wading

Derived forms of wade

wadable or wadeable, adjective

Word Origin for wade

Old English wadan; related to Old Frisian wada, Old High German watan, Old Norse vatha, Latin vadum ford

British Dictionary definitions for wade (2 of 2)

Wade

/ (weɪd) /

noun

(Sarah) Virginia. born 1945, English tennis player; won three Grand Slam singles titles: US Open (1968), Australian Open (1972), and Wimbledon (1977)

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

wade

OTHER WORDS FOR wade

Origin of wade

OTHER WORDS FROM wade

Other definitions for wade (2 of 2)

Words related to wade

How to use wade in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wade (1 of 2)

Derived forms of wade

Word Origin for wade

British Dictionary definitions for wade (2 of 2)