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was
[ wuhz, woz; unstressed wuhz ]
/ wʌz, wɒz; unstressed wəz /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
verb
first and third person singular past indicative of be.
VIDEO FOR WAS
Here's A Little Reminder About "Were" Vs. "Was"
This man had a serious debate over using "were" vs. "was" ... at the pub. Makes sense. Did he figure it out?
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of was
First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English wæs, past tense singular of wesan “to be”; cognate with Old Frisian, Old High German, Gothic was, Old Norse var; cf. wassail
Words nearby was
war whoop, Warwick, Warwickshire, wary, war zone, was, wasabi, Wasatch Range, wash, washable, wash-and-wear
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use was in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for was
was
/ (wɒz, unstressed wəz) /
verb
the past tense (indicative mood) of be 1
not standard a form of the subjunctive mood used in place of were, esp in conditional sentencesif the film was to be with you, would you be able to process it?
Word Origin for was
Old English wæs, from wesan to be; related to Old Frisian, Old High German was, Old Norse var
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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