• Would

    Pronunciation

    • stressed
      • UK IPA: /wÊŠd/
      • Rhymes: -ÊŠd
    • unstressed
      • UK IPA: /wÉ™d/, /É™d/
    • Homophones: wood

    Alternative forms

    Full definition of would

    Verb

    form of verb
    1. As a past-tense form of will.
      1. (obsolete) Wished, desired (something). 9th-19th c.
      2. (archaic) Wanted to ( + bare infinitive). from 9th c.
        • 1852, James Murdock, trans. Johann Lorenz Mosheim, Institutes of Ecclesiastical History, II.7.iii:The Greeks, especially those who would be thought adepts in mystic theology, ran after fantastic allegories ....
      3. Used to; was or were habitually accustomed to ( + bare infinitive); indicating an action in the past that happened repeatedly or commonly. from 9th c.
        • 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 4, No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.
        • 2009, "Soundtrack of my life", The Guardian, 15 Mar 09:When we were kids we would sit by the radio with a tape recorder on a Sunday, listening out for the chart songs we wanted to have.
      4. Used with bare infinitive to form the "anterior future", indicating a futurity relative to a past time. from 9th c.
        • 1867, Anthony Trollope, Last Chronicle of Barset, ch. 28:That her Lily should have been won and not worn, had been, and would be, a trouble to her for ever.
        • 2011, November 5, Phil Dawkes, QPR 2-3 Man City, Toure would have the decisive say though, rising high to power a header past Kenny from Aleksandar Kolarov's cross.
      5. (archaic) Used with ellipsis of the infinitive verb, or postponement to a relative clause, in various senses. from 9th c.
        • 1724, Daniel Defoe, Roxana, Penguin p. 107:He sat as one astonish'd, a good-while, looking at me, without speaking a Word, till I came quite up to him, kneel'd on one Knee to him, and almost whether he would or no, kiss'd his Hand ....
        • 1846, "A New Sentimental Journey", Blackwoods Magazine, vol. LX, no. 372:If I could fly, I would away to those realms of light and warmth – far, far away in the southern clime ....
      6. Was determined to; loosely, could naturally have been expected to (given the tendencies of someone's character etc.). from 18th c.
        • 1835, Charles Dickens, Sketches by Boz, V:Then he took to breeding silk-worms, which he would bring in two or three times a day, in little paper boxes, to show the old lady ....
        • 2009, "Is the era of free news over?", The Observer, 10 May 09:The free access model, the media magnate said last week, was "malfunctioning". Well he would, wouldn't he?
    2. As a modal verb, the subjunctive of will.
      1. Used to give a conditional or potential "softening" to the present; might, might wish. from 9th c.
        • 2008, Mark Cocker, "Country Diary", The Guardian, 3 Nov 08:It's a piece of old folklore for which I would love to find hard proof.
      2. Used as the auxiliary of the simple conditional modality (with a bare infinitive); indicating an action or state that is conditional on another. from 9th c.
        • 2010, The Guardian, 26 Feb 2010:Warnock admitted it would be the ideal scenario if he received a Carling Cup winners' medal as well as an England call-up ....
      3. (chiefly archaic) Might wish ( + verb in past subjunctive); often used (with or without that) in the sense of "if only". from 13th c.
        • 1859, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress,I presently wished, would that I had been in their clothes! would that I had been born Peter! would that I had been born John!
        • 1868, Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, ch. 23:I would she had retained her original haughtiness of disposition, or that I had a larger share of Front-de-BÅ“uf's thrice-tempered hardness of heart!
      4. Used to impart a sense of hesitancy or uncertainty to the present; might be inclined to. Now sometimes colloquially with ironic effect. from 15th c.
        • 2009, Nick Snow, The Rocket's Trail, p. 112:“Those trials are being run by the American army so surely you must have access to the documents?” “Well, yeah, you’d think.”
        • 2010, Terry Pratchett, "My case for a euthanasia tribunal", The Guardian, 2 Feb 2010:Departing on schedule with the help of a friendly doctor was quite usual. Does that still apply? It would seem so.
      5. Used interrogatively to express a polite request; are (you) willing to...? from 15th c.Would you pass the salt, please?
      6. (chiefly archaic) Might desire; wish (something). from 15th c.

    Usage notes

    As an auxiliary verb, would is followed by the bare infinitive (without to):

    John said he would have fish for dinner.

    Would is frequently contracted to 'd, especially after a pronoun (as in I'd, you'd, and so on).

    Indicating a wish, would takes a clause in the past subjunctive (irrealis) mood; this clause may or not be introduced with that. Most commonly in modern usage, it is followed by the adverb rather, as in I would rather that he go now. A call to a deity or other higher power is sometimes interposed after would and before the subjunctive clause, as in Would to God that ...; see for examples.

    Synonyms

    Related terms

    © Wiktionary
    • © 2013 - 2023 All Rights Reserved