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were

[ wur; unstressed wer; British also wair ]

/ wɜr; unstressed wər; British also wɛər /

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See synonyms for were on Thesaurus.com

verb

a second person singular past indicative; first, second, and third person plural past indicative; and past subjunctive of be.

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QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

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Origin of were

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

grammar notes for were

See subjunctive.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH were

we're, were , where

Words nearby were

Wentworth scale, wen-yen, Wenzel, Wenzhou, wept, were, weren't, werewolf, werewolves, Werfel, Wergeland

Other definitions for were (2 of 2)

we're

[ weer ]

/ wɪər /

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

usage note for we're

See contraction.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH we're

we're , were, where

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

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.
The Return of the Power Paunch|Sean Macaulay|May 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
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|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|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
In Abyssinia, at the present day, blacksmiths are considered to be were-wolves, according to Winstanley.
The Medicine-Men of the Apache. (1892 N 09 / 1887-1888 (pages 443-604))|John G. Bourke
In tropic countries we have stories of supernatural snakes, who appear in various forms, as were-snakes, shall we say?
The Supernatural in Modern English Fiction|Dorothy Scarborough
Accordingly they returned to the Court, where the 288 were-wolf became an object of the greatest curiosity to all.
Legends & Romances of Brittany|Lewis Spence

British Dictionary definitions for were (1 of 2)

were

/ (wɜː, unstressed wə) /

verb

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

Word Origin for were

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 were (2 of 2)

we're

/ (wɪə) /

contraction of

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