wend
1 Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
noun
verb
Etymology
Origin of wend1
before 900; Middle English wenden, Old English wendan; cognate with Dutch, German wenden, Gothic wandjan, causative of -windan to wind 2
Origin of Wend2
1780–90; < German Wende, Old High German Winida; cognate with Old English Winedas (plural)
Explanation
To wend means to choose a path and then walk that path. The path may not always be the fastest route, but at least it should get you there. Eventually. It’s always good to have a goal, and that’s true with wending. You know where you want to go, so you wend your way there. You’ll notice that wend looks like the verb wind, and they both come from the same Old English wendan, which means “to turn, depart.” When you wend, you may take curvy, windy roads, a more scenic route, some detours and side alleys, just for fun. But don’t wend too much or you’ll be late.
Vocabulary lists containing wend
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Excerpt from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
One mitigating fact is that there was virtually no way that disqualification could wend its way through the regulatory process in time to disqualify Justify before the first Saturday in May.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2023
The park includes a collection of waterways that wend through marshes and islands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
From New York Times • Jun. 29, 2023
Currently, most designs for Arctic shipping routes have vessels sticking close to the edge of the ice as they wend their way through the sea.
From Scientific American • May 1, 2023
Recently, however, I once again came across a figure from the McCarthy era who did indeed notice, but bear with me as I slowly wend my way toward him.
From Salon • Feb. 23, 2023
It takes us a long time to wend our way back down the stairs.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
