wed

wed — verb

1. to officially become husband and wife through a ceremony — a word that appears m

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to officially become husband and wife through a ceremony — a word that appears more often in news articles than in everyday conversation about getting married

Example

Talia and Jiwoo wed in a private ceremony last spring on a sunny hillside.

wed + in [location]; passive structure

The actress plans to wed her partner next summer at a vineyard in Napa Valley.

Common collocations
  • wed in a ceremony
  • wed in [year]
  • wed quietly
  • wed in [location]
  • plan to wed
Synonyms
  • marry

    Less formal; the standard term used in both speech and writing

  • get married

    Informal and very common in everyday English; requires auxiliary verb

  • tie the knot

    Informal idiomatic expression; friendly and conversational in tone

Antonyms
  • divorce

    The legal ending of a marriage

Grammar Patterns

wed + (someone)

two people wed

Usage Note

Unlike marry or get married, wed is rarely used in casual speech. Past tense is usually wed (not wedded), though wedded appears as an adjective in formal writing.

Common Mistakes

We wedded last weekend in a small church.
We wed last weekend in a small church.
The simple past of 'wed' is usually 'wed' (not 'wedded'), though 'wedded' is standard as an adjective form.

2. to serve as the official who conducts a marriage ceremony, or to handle the orga

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to serve as the official who conducts a marriage ceremony, or to handle the organizational work so that two people can become legally married

Example

Judge Rachid has wed more than three hundred couples in his career at the courthouse.

subject: official authorized to perform marriages

The ship captain can wed passengers while the vessel is sailing in international waters.

Common collocations
  • wed a couple
  • wed a pair
  • wed [someone] to [someone]
Synonyms
  • marry

    Used more broadly; can mean either to get married or to officiate a wedding

  • join in marriage

    Highly formal and traditional; often used in religious contexts

Grammar Patterns

wed + couple/pair

Usage Note

Subject is typically a person with legal authority to conduct marriages, such as a judge, priest, captain, or registered officiant. The object is the couple being married.

Common Mistakes

The priest wedded the bride and groom.
The priest wed the bride and groom.
Use 'wed' (not 'wedded') for the past tense of performing a ceremony.

3. to bring together two different things — such as design styles, cultural traditi

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to bring together two different things — such as design styles, cultural traditions, or technical features — so that they work well as one unified whole

Example

Jabari's fashion line weds traditional West African fabrics with modern European tailoring.

pattern: wed [thing A] with [thing B]

The new restaurant weds Korean flavours with classic Italian pasta dishes.

Common collocations
  • wed [A] with [B]
  • wed [A] to [B]
  • wed tradition with
  • wed features with
Synonyms
  • combine

    Standard neutral term; works in all registers without sounding literary

  • blend

    Suggests smoother integration where individual elements are less distinct

  • fuse

    Implies a stronger, more complete union; often used about music or art

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

wed + A + with/to + B

Usage Note

Figurative sense, common in reviews and descriptions of creative or technical works. Often followed by with or to to link the two elements being combined.

Common Mistakes

The design weds both traditional modernity.
The design weds tradition with modernity.
When using 'wed' in this sense, use 'with' or 'to' to connect the two elements.

wed — adjective

wed — abbreviation

Word family

  • wedding
    nounA2
  • wedded
    adjectiveC1
  • wedlock
    nounC1
  • newly-wed
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Wed, marry, get married, and tie the knot all describe entering a marriage, but they differ in register and frequency. Wed is the most formal and least common in speech; it appears mainly in newspaper headlines and formal announcements. Marry is the neutral, standard verb used in both writing and conversation and can be transitive (He married her) or intransitive (They married in June). Get married is the informal, everyday choice—it requires the auxiliary get and works best in casual contexts (We got married last year). Tie the knot is an informal idiom that adds a friendly, light-hearted tone. Use wed for formal writing, marry for neutral contexts, and get married or tie the knot for casual conversation.

marry ↗get marriedtie the knot ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • wed in [year]
  • wed in [location]
  • wed [A] to [B]
  • wed [A] with [B]

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Wed comes from the Old English word weddian, which meant 'to pledge oneself' or 'to promise.' The original idea was about making a serious promise or covenant, which later narrowed to the specific promise made in a marriage ceremony. This root is also the source of wedding and wedlock.