ween

[ ween ]

/ win /

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verb (used with or without object) Archaic.

to think; suppose.

to expect, hope, or intend.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Origin of ween

before 900; Middle English wenen,Old English wēnan to expect; cognate with German wähnen to imagine, Old Norse væna,Gothic wēnjan to hope, expect

OTHER WORDS FROM ween

un·weened, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ween

wean, ween

Words nearby ween

weekly, weeknight, weel, Weelkes, Weems, ween, weenie, weeny, weeny-bopper, weep, weep buckets

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use ween in a sentence

The use of ween is limited; and the third person, singular and plural, is generally indicated by the sign, O.
The Indian in his Wigwam|Henry R. Schoolcraft
With shields are your ships bedecked; boldly ye bear yourselves, few things ye fear, I ween: tell me how your king is named.
The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson|Saemund Sigfusson and Snorre Sturleson
They, I ween, spoke not more than this: kindly she went to sit at the damsel's knee.
The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson|Saemund Sigfusson and Snorre Sturleson
On each other then they looked before they parted: then, I ween, their fates were severed, and their ways divided.
The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson|Saemund Sigfusson and Snorre Sturleson

The use of ween is limited; and the third person, singular and plural, is generally indicated by the sign O.
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

British Dictionary definitions for ween

ween

/ (wiːn) /

verb

archaic to think or imagine (something)

Word Origin for ween

Old English wēnan; related to Old Saxon wānian, Gothic wēnjan, German wähnen to assume wrongly

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