abided

EN
verb

🇺🇸

/əˈbaɪd/

🇺🇸

/əˈbaɪd/

🇬🇧

/əˈbaɪd/

🇬🇧

/əˈbaɪd/

Word Forms

Past Tense

abided

Past Participle

abided

Gerund

abiding

3rd Person

abides

Description

Abided is the past tense and past participle of 'abide', meaning either (1) to patiently endure something difficult or unpleasant, or (2) to obey or comply with a rule, agreement, or authority — often with a sense of solemn commitment or moral duty. It’s a formal or literary word, commonly used in legal, religious, or reflective contexts — e.g., 'She abided by her promise despite the cost.'

Examples

He abided by the court's ruling without appeal.

They abided in that quiet village for over thirty years.

I cannot abide dishonesty in any form.

The treaty has been abided with faithfully since 1992.

Though weary, she abided the long silence until he spoke.

Root

abide

Comes from Old English 'ābīdan', composed of the prefix 'ā-' (intensive or perfective, akin to 'on' or 'out') and the verb 'bīdan' (to wait, remain, endure). It is a native Germanic root, not borrowed from Latin or Greek. Core meaning centers on enduring, waiting through, or remaining steadfast in place, time, or principle. Examples include abide, abiding, abidance, bide (archaic/poetic variant).