were

[ wur; unstressed wer; British also wair ]
See synonyms for were on Thesaurus.com
verb
  1. a second person singular past indicative; first, second, and third person plural past indicative; and past subjunctive of be.

Origin of were

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English wǣre past subjunctive, wǣre 2nd-person singular past and wǣron 2nd-person plural past of wesan “to be”; cognate with Dutch, German waren, Danish var. See was

Grammar notes for were

Words that may be confused with were

Words Nearby were

Other definitions for we're (2 of 2)

we're
[ weer ]

  1. contraction of we are:We're happy to see you.

usage note For we're

Words that may be confused with we're

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use were in a sentence

  • Having yourself immortalized with a paunch indicated you were wealthy/held high office/were involved in derring-do.

  • If you find yourself hungering for more humorous were-action, check out the British version of Being Human on BBC America.

    My Favorite Horror Comedies | Marti Noxon | August 16, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • So too, does Henry Kissinger and did the late Arthur Schlesinger Jr., but they are/were apparently another story.

    The 'Delusional Left' Wins | Eric Alterman | March 18, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • There was a certain difficulty in obtaining the necessary funds without announcing precisely what they-were for.

    Hyacinth | George A. Birmingham
  • In pattern it showed bright green flowers-that-never-were sprawling on a purple background.

    Roast Beef, Medium | Edna Ferber

British Dictionary definitions for were (1 of 2)

were

/ (wɜː, unstressed ) /


verb
  1. the plural form of the past tense (indicative mood) of be and the singular form used with you. It is also used as a subjunctive, esp in conditional sentences

Origin of were

1
Old English wērun, wæron past tense plural of wesan to be; related to Old Norse vera, Old Frisian weria, Old High German werōn to last

usage For were

Were, as a remnant of the past subjunctive in English, is used in formal contexts in clauses expressing hypotheses (if he were to die, she would inherit everything), suppositions contrary to fact (if I were you, I would be careful), and desire (I wish he were there now). In informal speech, however, was is often used instead

British Dictionary definitions for we're (2 of 2)

we're

/ (wɪə) /


contraction of
  1. we are

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