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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.

VIDEO FOR WERE

Here's A Little Reminder About "Were" Vs. "Was"

This man had a serious debate over using "were" vs. "was" ... at the pub. Makes sense. Did he figure it out?

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QUIZ

TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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