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was

[ wuhz, woz; unstressed wuhz ]

/ wʌz, wɒz; unstressed wəz /

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See synonyms for was on Thesaurus.com

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?

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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.

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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

Katherine Doyle: “The news says there was/has been a homicide in Danvers High School.”
Colleen Ritzer Is the Second U.S. Math Teacher Slain in Two Days|Michael Daly|October 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And Texas was/is on its way to becoming a swing state by 2024 or so, so this could have an impact on that.
Supreme Court and Voting Rights|Michael Tomasky|June 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The good count was/is a local big shot and benefactor, but I can't seem to find out anything else about him.
The Things Not Asked; Tonight|Michael Tomasky|October 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Let's not lose sight of the other leg--the I-was-CEO-I-wasn't-in-charge-I-retired-retroactively-but-I-still-got-paid leg.
The Emerging Theory on Mitt's Taxes: It's 2009|Michael Tomasky|July 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST

I could not make out what it was, for the wind-was rustling the corn-shocks, but I arose and feigned to listen.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
Mr. Newdegate was a hard-mouthed witness, but he-was saddled, bridled, and ridden to the winning-post.
Reminiscences of Charles Bradlaugh|George W. Foote
Everything else-even endowments given by private persons a few years before the Act was passed-was swept away.
Is Ulster Right?|Anonymous
Burckhardt was on that 8:51 bus, every morning of every day-that-was-June-15th, never different by a hair or a moment.
The Tunnel Under The World|Frederik Pohl
He is a most capable and felicitous talker-was born for an orator, I think.
Mark Twain, A Biography, 1835-1910, Complete|Albert Bigelow Paine

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012