wed
verb (used with object)
to marry (another person) in a formal ceremony.
wed
1 American
[wed]
/ wɛd /
verb (used with object)
wedded,
wed,
wedding
-
to marry (another person) in a formal ceremony.
-
to unite (a couple) in marriage or wedlock; marry.
-
to bind by close or lasting ties; attach firmly.
She wedded herself to the cause of economic justice.
-
to blend together or unite inseparably.
a novel that weds style and content perfectly.
verb (used without object)
wedded,
wed,
wedding
-
to contract marriage; marry.
-
to become united or to blend.
a building that will wed with the landscape.
we'd
2
American
[weed]
/ wid /
-
contraction of we had:
Sometimes I wish we'd bought a bigger house.
-
contraction of we would:
Of course we'd be happy to donate to the school's fundraiser.
Wed.
3
American
abbreviation
wed
1
British
/ wɛd /
verb
-
to take (a person of the opposite sex) as a husband or wife; marry
-
(tr) to join (two people) in matrimony
-
(tr) to unite closely
Wed.
2
British
abbreviation
we'd
3
British
/ wɪd, wiːd /
contraction
Usage
See contraction.
Other Word Forms
- interwed verb (used without object)interwed, interwedded, interwedding
- rewed verb
- unwed adjective
Etymology
Origin of wed
First recorded before 900; Middle English wedde, Old English weddian “to pledge, marry, get married”; cognate with German wetten “to bet,” Old Norse vethja “to pledge”
Explanation
To wed is to get married to someone. Your dream might be to wed your dream spouse in Hawaii some day. The verb wed is mainly used in a formal context — marry is more common. You can also use either word to mean "join in marriage" or "perform a marriage ceremony," like when the Archbishop of Canterbury weds members of British royalty. Wed shares a Germanic root with words in various languages meaning "pledge," but also "bet or wager."
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.
As for their U.K. dwelling, the British actors are said to use the property as their primary residence, having moved into the home together not long after they wed in 2011.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
They even pledged, before they wed, that they would one day trace their forebears’ journeys together.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Historically, women who wed royals have faced intense pressure to produce sons and some family members are regular subjects of online and media gossip.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
In season three Francesca wed John Stirling, played by Victor Alli, and the pair looked to live out a quiet marriage.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026
Ishmael’s grandfather had been a Highland Presbyterian, his grandmother an Irish zealot from the bogs above Lough Ree; they met in Seattle five years before the Great Fire, wed, and raised six sons.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
