Abide — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ə-ˈbīd/

Meaning & Definition of Abide

Abide (verb)

  1. to bear patiently, tolerate
  2. to endure without yielding, withstand
  3. to wait for, await

Abide (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to continue to be in a place for a significant amount of time

    "refused to abide where it was clear that he wasn't wanted"

    similar: dwell, hang around, remain, stay, stick around, tarry
    related: await, hang on, hold on, wait, dally, dawdle, linger, loiter, outstay, overstay
    opposite: bail, bail out, bug out, buzz (off), clear off (chiefly British), clear out, cut out, depart, exit, get off, go, go off, leave, move, pack (up or off), peel off, pike (out or off), pull out, push off, push on, quit, shove (off), take off, vamoose, walk out
    near: abscond, book (slang), decamp, escape, evacuate, flee, fly, get out, run away, scat, scram, skip, abandon, desert, forsake, vacate

  2. to have a home

    "the charming fantasy that fairies abide in the cup-shaped flowers dotting the woodland floor"

    similar: dwell, live, reside
    related: lodge, settle, stay, frequent, hang (at), haunt, visit, cohabit, inhabit, occupy, people, populate, lease, rent, sublet, tenant

  3. to put up with (something painful or difficult)

    "cannot abide being in huge crowds"

    similar: absorb, accept, bear, bide (chiefly dialect), brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, sweat out, take, tolerate, wear (British), live with, lump (it), stand for, tough it out
    related: allow, permit, suffer, swallow, reconcile (to), acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)
    near: decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss, abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)

  4. to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state

    "the village's once-honored ways no longer abide and now exist only in the memories of a few elders"

    similar: bide, continue, endure, hold on, hold up, keep up, last, perdure, persist, remain, run on
    related: linger, stay, stick around, tarry, carry through, prevail, survive
    opposite: cease, close, conclude, desist, die, discontinue, end, expire, finish, lapse, leave off, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up
    near: abate, die (down), ebb, let up, moderate, subside, wane

Related Entry: Abide by (phrase)

Abide by is a different word from Abide. The synonyms below are for abide by, not for abide.

  1. to act according to the commands of

    "You can stay here, but you'll need to abide by the house rules."

    similar: adhere (to), comply (with), conform (to), follow, goose-step (to), mind, obey, observe, fall in with, keep to
    related: defer (to), submit (to), surrender (to), yield (to), accede (to), acquiesce (to), agree (to), assent (to), attend, hear, heed, listen (to), mark, note, notice, regard, take, watch
    opposite: defy, disobey, rebel (against)
    near: disoblige, challenge, dare, refuse, renounce, repudiate, direct, lead, brush (off), disregard, ignore, overlook, overpass, pass over, tune out, wink (at), dismiss, pooh-pooh, shrug off, breach, break, infringe, transgress, violate, deride, flout, mock, scoff (at), scorn, mutiny (against), revolt (against), buck, combat, contest, dispute, fight, oppose, resist, withstand

  2. to do what is required by the terms of

    "She abided by their agreement to head home early."

    similar: answer, complete, comply (with), fill, fulfill, keep, meet, redeem, satisfy, make good
    related: conclude, consummate, finalize, finish, perfect, accomplish, achieve, bring about, bring off, carry out, effect, commit, compass, discharge, execute, follow through (with), make, perform
    opposite: breach, break, transgress, violate
    near: default (on), disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight

  3. to give steadfast support to

    "He abides by the city's efforts to improve public transportation."

    similar: adhere (to), cling (to), hew (to), keep (to), stand by, stick (to or with), hold to, live up to
    related: cleave (to), advocate, back, champion, confirm, defend, endorse, espouse, support, uphold, accept, adopt, cherish, cultivate, embrace, follow, foster, heed, backstop, bolster, boost, buttress, enforce, reinforce
    opposite: defect (from)
    near: abandon, abnegate, desert, forsake, give up, relinquish, spurn, surrender, abjure, recall, recant, reconsider, renege, renounce, retract, revoke, take back, unsay, withdraw, controvert, disagree (with), disprove, dispute, rebut, refute, contradict, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, gainsay, negate, negative, repudiate, back down, back off, backtrack

Related Entry: Abide (beyond) (verb)

Abide (beyond) is a different word from Abide. The synonyms below are for abide (beyond), not for abide.

  1. as in last (beyond), persist (beyond)

    similar: endure (past), hold (past), hold out (past), last (beyond), persist (beyond), outstay, draw out, perpetuate, survive, succeed, outlast, outlive, outwear

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Abide

The most common words with a similar meaning to Abide:

Chiefly dialect: bide
British: wear
dwell, hang around, remain, stay, stick around, tarry, live, reside, absorb, accept, bear, brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, sweat out, take, tolerate, continue, hold on, hold up, keep up, last, perdure, persist, run on, live with, lump (it), stand for, tough it out

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Abide

Words with the opposite meaning of Abide:

bail, bail out, bug out, buzz (off), clear off, clear out, cut out, depart, exit, get off, go, go off, leave, move, pack (up or off), peel off, pike (out or off), pull out, push off, push on, quit, shove (off), take off, vamoose, walk out, cease, close, conclude, desist, die

Related Words for Abide

await, hang on, wait, dally, dawdle, linger, loiter, outstay, overstay, lodge, settle, frequent, hang (at), haunt, visit, cohabit, inhabit, occupy, people, populate, lease, rent, sublet, tenant, allow, permit, suffer, swallow, reconcile (to), acquiesce

Near Antonyms of Abide

abscond, book, decamp, escape, evacuate, flee, fly, get out, run away, scat, scram, skip, abandon, desert, forsake, vacate, decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down, combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist, avoid, bypass

Word Forms of Abide

Inflections: abided, abode, abiding

Derived words: abider (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Abide

Middle English abiden, going back to Old English abīdan, from a-, perfective prefix + bīdan "to bide, wait"; a- (also ā-, ǣ- under stress in nominal derivatives) akin to Old Frisian a-, perfective prefix, Old Saxon ā-, ō- (unstressed a-) and probably to Old English or- "outward, extreme, lacking (in nominal compounds)," Old Frisian & Old Saxon ur-, or-, Old High German ar-, ir-, er- unstressed inchoative verb prefix, ur "out of, away from," Old Norse ūr-, ör-, "out of, from," ør-, privative prefix, Gothic us- "out of," us-, privative and perfective prefix; if from pre-Germanic *ud-s- akin to Old English ūt "out" out:1, bide

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Words & Phrases Containing Abide

abide by

Frequently Asked Questions about Abide

What does "Abide" mean?

"Abide" means to bear patiently, tolerate. As a verb, it is defined as: to bear patiently, tolerate. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Abide"?

Other words for "Abide" include dwell, hang around, remain, stay, stick around, tarry, live and reside. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Abide" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Abide"?

There are 81 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Abide". Common alternatives include dwell, hang around, remain, stay, stick around, tarry, live, reside, absorb and accept.

What is the opposite of "Abide"?

Antonyms of "Abide" include bail, bail out, bug out, buzz (off), clear off, clear out, cut out and depart. Near antonyms include abscond, book, decamp and escape.

How do you use "Abide" in a sentence?

Examples of "Abide" in a sentence: "refused to abide where it was clear that he wasn't wanted"; "the charming fantasy that fairies abide in the cup-shaped flowers dotting the woodland floor"; "cannot abide being in huge crowds".

Is "Abide" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Abide" is a verb.

How do you pronounce "Abide"?

"Abide" is pronounced /ə-ˈbīd/.

What is the origin of the word "Abide"?

"Abide" comes from Middle English abiden, going back to Old English abīdan, from a-, perfective prefix + bīdan "to bide, wait"; a- (also ā-, ǣ- under stress in nominal derivatives) akin to Old Frisian a-, perfective prefix, Old Saxon ā-, ō- (unstressed a-) and probably to Old English or- "outward, extreme, lacking (in nominal compounds)," Old Frisian & Old Saxon ur-, or-, Old High German ar-, ir-, er- unstressed inchoative verb prefix, ur "out of, away from," Old Norse ūr-, ör-, "out of, from," ør-, privative prefix, Gothic us- "out of," us-, privative and perfective prefix; if from pre-Germanic *ud-s- akin to Old English ūt "out" out:1, bide. First known use: before 12th centuryt.