Had — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb

Meaning & Definition of Had

Had (verb)

  1. to keep, control, or experience as one's own
  2. to agree to receive whether willingly or reluctantly
  3. to bring forth from the womb

Had (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to keep, control, or experience as one's own

    "my uncle has a sizable collection of black powder rifles"

    similar: commanded, enjoyed, held, owned, possessed, retained, rejoiced in
    related: kept, reserved, withheld, bore, carried, boasted, showed off, sported
    opposite: lacked, wanted
    near: abandoned, ceded, disclaimed, disowned, handed over, relinquished, renounced, surrendered, yielded, discarded, dumped, declined, rejected, repudiated, spurned, needed, required

  2. to agree to receive whether willingly or reluctantly

    "we decided that I would have the job of calling the volunteers on the phone"

    "she refused to have him as a husband"

    similar: accepted, took
    related: acceded (to), assented (to), conceded (to), confirmed, consented (to), OK'd, ratified, sanctioned, warranted, acquiesced (to), bowed (to), capitulated (to), gave in (to), submitted (to), succumbed (to), surrendered (to), yielded (to), abided, bore, brooked, countenanced, endured, shouldered, stomached, stood, stuck out, supported, sustained, swallowed, sweat out, tolerated, adopted, embraced, welcomed
    opposite: declined, denied, disallowed, disapproved, negatived, refused, rejected, spurned, turned down, vetoed
    near: dissented (to), objected (to), opposed, protested, held off, resisted, withstood, combated, contested, fought

  3. to bring forth from the womb

    "her grandmother had 11 children"

    similar: birthed (chiefly dialect), bore, delivered, dropped, mothered, produced, gave birth to
    related: labored, bred, multiplied, propagated, reproduced, spawned, begot, fathered, generated, got, sired, calved, kidded, kindled, kittened, littered, pupped, whelped
    near: aborted, lost, miscarried

  4. to cause to believe what is untrue

    "he'd been had —the painting was a fake, and he never saw the art dealer or his money again"

    similar: bamboozled, beguiled, bluffed, buffaloed, burned, caught, conned, cozened, deceived, deluded, duped, faked out, fooled, gaffed, gammoned, gulled, had on (chiefly British), hoaxed, hoodwinked, hornswoggled, humbugged, juggled, misguided, misinformed, misled, snookered, snowed, spoofed, strung along, sucked in, suckered, took in, tricked, did a number on, led one down the garden path, pulled one's leg, pulled the wool over one's eyes
    related: kidded, put on, teased, bled, cheated, chiseled, defrauded, diddled, euchred, fleeced, flimflammed, hustled, mulcted, rooked, shortchanged, skinned, squeezed, stuck, stung, swindled
    opposite: undeceived
    near: debunked, exposed, revealed, showed up, uncloaked, uncovered, unmasked, disclosed, divulged, told, unveiled, disabused, disenchanted, disillusioned

  5. to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it

    "had a great time at the party"

    "had three operations on her leg"

    similar: endured, experienced, felt, knew, passed, saw, suffered, sustained, tasted, underwent, witnessed, went through
    related: encountered, met, accepted, received, assimilated, digested

  6. to give permission for or to approve of

    "I will not have any more nonsense about a party in celebration of my retirement"

    similar: allowed, green-lighted, permitted, suffered, stood for
    related: authorized, commissioned, licensed, acceded (to), acquiesced, agreed (to), assented (to), consented (to), OK'd, warranted, accorded, conceded, granted, sanctioned, vouchsafed, admitted, brooked, condoned, countenanced, endured, supported, tolerated
    opposite: banned, enjoined, forbade, prohibited, proscribed, vetoed
    near: hindered, impeded, obstructed, censured, denied, disallowed, disapproved, interdicted, refused, rejected, revoked, suppressed, withheld, deplored, discountenanced, disfavored, disliked, frowned (at or on), grudged, checked, curbed, kept, repressed, restrained

  7. to influence someone with a bribe

    "an upstanding judge who could not be had at any price"

    similar: bought, bribed, corrupted, paid off, squared, got at, greased the hand of, oiled the hand of
    related: fixed, tampered (with), abased, debased, debauched, defiled, degraded, demeaned, depraved, dishonored, perverted, poisoned, profaned, prostituted, subverted, tainted, warped, allured, baited, beguiled, enticed, led on, lured, seduced, tempted, motivated, provoked, spurred, stimulated, goaded, induced, flattered, persuaded, snared, trapped

  8. to keep in one's mind or heart

    "I have never had an unkind thought for him"

    "do you have an opinion?"

    similar: bore, cherished, entertained, harbored, held, nursed, held on to, hung on to
    related: cultivated, fostered, nurtured, supported, sustained, carried, kept, maintained, preserved, remembered, retained, treasured, cleaved (to), clung (to), hugged, stuck (to), brooded (about or over), fixated (on or upon), obsessed (about or over)
    near: disregarded, dropped, forgot, ignored, neglected, overlooked, abjured, declined, denied, disdained, refused, rejected, repudiated, scorned, abandoned, deserted, discarded, forsook, gave up, parted (with), quit, renounced, threw out, erased, expunged

Related Entry: Have (verb)

Have is a different word from Had. The synonyms below are for have, not for had.

  1. to keep, control, or experience as one's own

    "my uncle has a sizable collection of black powder rifles"

    similar: command, enjoy, hold, own, possess, retain, rejoice in
    related: keep, reserve, withhold, bear, carry, boast, show off, sport
    opposite: lack, want
    near: abandon, cede, disclaim, disown, hand over, relinquish, renounce, surrender, yield, discard, dump, decline, reject, repudiate, spurn, need, require

  2. to agree to receive whether willingly or reluctantly

    "we decided that I would have the job of calling the volunteers on the phone"

    "she refused to have him as a husband"

    similar: accept, take
    related: accede (to), assent (to), concede (to), confirm, consent (to), OK, ratify, sanction, warrant, acquiesce (to), bow (to), capitulate (to), give in (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to), abide, bear, brook, countenance, endure, shoulder, stand, stick out, stomach, support, sustain, swallow, sweat out, tolerate, adopt, embrace, welcome
    opposite: decline, deny, disallow, disapprove, negative, refuse, reject, spurn, turn down, veto
    near: dissent (to), object (to), oppose, protest, hold off, resist, withstand, combat, contest, fight

  3. to bring forth from the womb

    "her grandmother had 11 children"

    similar: bear, birth (chiefly dialect), deliver, drop, mother, produce, give birth to
    related: labor, breed, multiply, propagate, reproduce, spawn, beget, father, generate, get, sire, calve, kid, kindle, kitten, litter, pup, whelp
    near: abort, lose, miscarry

  4. to cause to believe what is untrue

    "he'd been had —the painting was a fake, and he never saw the art dealer or his money again"

    similar: bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have on (chiefly British), hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, suck in, sucker, take in, trick, do a number on, lead one down the garden path, pull one's leg, pull the wool over one's eyes
    related: kid, put on, tease, bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, fleece, flimflam, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle
    opposite: undeceive
    near: debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask, disclose, divulge, tell, unveil, disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

  5. to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it

    "had a great time at the party"

    "had three operations on her leg"

    similar: endure, experience, feel, know, pass, see, suffer, sustain, taste, undergo, witness, go through
    related: encounter, meet, accept, receive, assimilate, digest

  6. to give permission for or to approve of

    "I will not have any more nonsense about a party in celebration of my retirement"

    similar: allow, green-light, permit, suffer, stand for
    related: authorize, commission, license, accede (to), acquiesce, agree (to), assent (to), consent (to), OK, warrant, accord, concede, grant, sanction, vouchsafe, admit, brook, condone, countenance, endure, support, tolerate
    opposite: ban, enjoin, forbid, prohibit, proscribe, veto
    near: hinder, impede, obstruct, censure, deny, disallow, disapprove, interdict, refuse, reject, revoke, suppress, withhold, deplore, discountenance, disfavor, dislike, frown (at or on), grudge, check, curb, keep, repress, restrain

  7. to influence someone with a bribe

    "an upstanding judge who could not be had at any price"

    similar: bribe, buy, corrupt, pay off, square, get at, grease the hand of, oil the hand of
    related: fix, tamper (with), abase, debase, debauch, defile, degrade, demean, deprave, dishonor, pervert, poison, profane, prostitute, subvert, taint, warp, allure, bait, beguile, entice, lead on, lure, seduce, tempt, motivate, provoke, spur, stimulate, goad, induce, flatter, persuade, snare, trap

  8. to keep in one's mind or heart

    "I have never had an unkind thought for him"

    "do you have an opinion?"

    similar: bear, cherish, entertain, harbor, hold, nurse, hang on to, hold on to
    related: cultivate, foster, nurture, support, sustain, carry, keep, maintain, preserve, remember, retain, treasure, cleave (to), cling (to), hug, stick (to), brood (about or over), fixate (on or upon), obsess (about or over)
    near: disregard, drop, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, abjure, decline, deny, disdain, refuse, reject, repudiate, scorn, abandon, desert, discard, forsake, give up, part (with), quit, renounce, throw out, erase, expunge

Related Entry: Have (to) (verb)

Have (to) is a different word from Had. The synonyms below are for have (to), not for had.

  1. to be under necessity or obligation to

    "I have to take out the trash before we can leave"

    "has to take medicine for her heart"

    similar: must, need, ought (to), shall, should
    related: will

Related Entry: Had on (verb)

Had on is a different word from Had. The synonyms below are for had on, not for had.

  1. to cause to believe what is untrue

    "you're having me on, aren't you, mate?"

    similar: bamboozled, beguiled, bluffed, buffaloed, burned, caught, conned, cozened, deceived, deluded, duped, faked out, fooled, gaffed, gammoned, gulled, had, hoaxed, hoodwinked, hornswoggled, humbugged, juggled, misguided, misinformed, misled, snookered, snowed, spoofed, strung along, sucked in, suckered, took in, tricked, did a number on, led one down the garden path, pulled one's leg, pulled the wool over one's eyes
    related: kidded, put on, teased, bled, cheated, chiseled, defrauded, diddled, euchred, fleeced, flimflammed, hustled, mulcted, rooked, shortchanged, skinned, squeezed, stuck, stung, swindled
    opposite: undeceived
    near: debunked, exposed, revealed, showed up, uncloaked, uncovered, unmasked, disclosed, divulged, told, unveiled, disabused, disenchanted, disillusioned

Related Entry: Had a fit (phrase)

Had a fit is a different word from Had. The synonyms below are for had a fit, not for had.

  1. to become very angry

    "The toddler had a fit when he was told he couldn't have candy for breakfast."

    similar: blew up, flared (up), flipped (out) (slang), blew a gasket, blew one's cool, blew one's stack, blew one's top, flew into a rage, flew off the handle, forgot oneself, hit the ceiling, hit the roof, lost one's cool, lost one's temper, went ballistic
    related: angered, fulminated, raged, ranted, raved, snapped, snarled, sputtered, stormed, teed off, vented, vituperated, bristled, burned, foamed, fumed, glared, glowered, seethed, sizzled, smoldered, steamed, warmed, burst, exploded, flared (out), flashed, inflamed, maddened
    opposite: calmed (down), simmered down
    near: chilled out (slang), cooled (off or down), relaxed, hushed, quieted (down)

Related Entry: Had a go at (phrase)

Had a go at is a different word from Had. The synonyms below are for had a go at, not for had.

  1. to make an effort to do

    "Realizing I needed a hobby, I decided to have a go at learning to play an instrument."

    similar: assayed, attempted, endeavored, essayed, sought, strove, tried, shot at, tried one's hand (at)
    related: fought, strained, struggled, toiled, troubled, worked, aimed, aspired, hoped, assumed, took up, undertook
    near: dropped, gave up, quit

Related Entry: Had a grip on (phrase)

Had a grip on is a different word from Had. The synonyms below are for had a grip on, not for had.

  1. to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

    "After getting a tutor he finally has a grip on trigonometry."

    similar: addressed, contended (with), coped (with), fielded, grappled (with), hacked, handled, managed, maneuvered, manipulated, negotiated, played, swung, took, treated, came to grips with
    related: engineered, finessed, jockeyed, brought off, carried off, carried out, got off, pulled, commanded, directed, guided, steered, controlled, micromanaged, ran, regulated, reacted (to), responded (to)
    near: botched, bungled, foozled, fumbled, goofed (up), loused up, messed (up), mishandled, muffed, scamped

Related Entry: Had a soft spot for (phrase)

Had a soft spot for is a different word from Had. The synonyms below are for had a soft spot for, not for had.

  1. to take pleasure in

    "A lifelong fan, she still has a soft spot for the Beatles."

    similar: adored, delighted (in), dug, enjoyed, fancied, got off (on), grooved (on), liked, loved, rejoiced (in), relished, reveled (in), savored, got a kick out of, took to, was partial to, went for
    related: admired, appreciated, cherished, revered, venerated, worshipped, prized, treasured, valued, ate (up), devoured, drank (in), feasted (on), doted (on), idolized, cottoned (to), favored, preferred, indulged (in), luxuriated (in), wallowed (in)
    near: abhorred, abominated, detested, disliked, hated, loathed, condemned, despised, scorned

Related Entry: Had at (phrase)

Had at is a different word from Had. The synonyms below are for had at, not for had.

  1. to start work on energetically

    "This project needs to be finished today, so we'd better have at it."

    similar: attacked, dived (into), tackled, waded (in or into), lit into, pitched into, sailed into, tore into, went at
    related: addressed, approached, faced, buckled (down to), concentrated (on), focused (on), knuckled down (to), zeroed (in on), fell (to), pitched in, plunged (in), settled (down), pursued, took up, undertook
    near: avoided, evaded, shunned, dallied, dawdled, dillydallied, fiddled (around), fooled, idled, lagged, messed, monkeyed (around), played, poked, pottered (around), puttered (around), trifled

Related Entry: Had done with (phrase)

Had done with is a different word from Had. The synonyms below are for had done with, not for had.

  1. to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

    "Let's have done with this conversation; we aren't getting anywhere."

    similar: broke, broke off, broke up, canned (slang), ceased, cut off, cut out, desisted (from), discontinued, dropped, ended, gave over, halted, knocked off, laid off, left off, packed (up or in), quit, shut off, stopped, put the kibosh on (informal)
    related: completed, concluded, finished, closed (down), deactivated, blockaded, blocked, dammed, delayed, detained, held, held back, hindered, impeded, kiboshed, obstructed, stemmed, called, suspended, arrested, braked, checked, clamped down, reined (in), squashed, squelched, stamped, stanched, stunted, suppressed, turned back, paused, stayed, abolished, aborted, annulled, demolished, destroyed, dissolved, killed, ruined, scuttled, snuffed
    near: carried on, continued, followed through (with), kept up, ran on, advanced, proceeded, progressed, actuated, drove, impelled, propelled, stirred

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Had

The most common words with a similar meaning to Had:

Chiefly dialect: birthed
Chiefly British: had on
commanded, enjoyed, held, owned, possessed, retained, accepted, took, bore, delivered, dropped, mothered, produced, bamboozled, beguiled, bluffed, buffaloed, burned, caught, conned, cozened, deceived, deluded, duped, faked out, fooled, gaffed, gammoned, gulled, hoaxed, hoodwinked, hornswoggled, humbugged, juggled, misguided, misinformed, misled, snookered, snowed, spoofed

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Had

Words with the opposite meaning of Had:

lacked, wanted, declined, denied, disallowed, disapproved, negatived, refused, rejected, spurned, turned down, vetoed, undeceived, banned, enjoined, forbade, prohibited, proscribed

Related Words for Had

kept, reserved, withheld, carried, boasted, showed off, sported, acceded (to), assented (to), conceded (to), confirmed, consented (to), OK'd, ratified, sanctioned, warranted, acquiesced (to), bowed (to), capitulated (to), gave in (to), submitted (to), succumbed (to), surrendered (to), yielded (to), abided, brooked, countenanced, shouldered, stomached, stood

Near Antonyms of Had

abandoned, ceded, disclaimed, disowned, handed over, relinquished, renounced, surrendered, yielded, discarded, dumped, repudiated, needed, required, dissented (to), objected (to), opposed, protested, held off, resisted, withstood, combated, contested, fought, aborted, lost, miscarried, debunked, exposed, revealed

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Had

  • Topics: Grammar Function Words

Words & Phrases Containing Had

had better, had a good innings, have had it, be had, if it had not been for, if one had one's druthers, you had to be there

Frequently Asked Questions about Had

What does "Had" mean?

"Had" means to keep, control, or experience as one's own. As a verb, it is defined as: to keep, control, or experience as one's own. It has 8 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Had"?

Other words for "Had" include commanded, enjoyed, held, owned, possessed, retained, accepted and took. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Had" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Had"?

There are 222 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Had". Common alternatives include commanded, enjoyed, held, owned, possessed, retained, accepted, took, birthed and bore.

What is the opposite of "Had"?

Antonyms of "Had" include lacked, wanted, declined, denied, disallowed, disapproved, negatived and refused. Near antonyms include abandoned, ceded, disclaimed and disowned.

How do you use "Had" in a sentence?

Examples of "Had" in a sentence: "my uncle has a sizable collection of black powder rifles"; "we decided that I would have the job of calling the volunteers on the phone"; "she refused to have him as a husband".

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

"Had" is a verb.

What is another word for "Had" meaning "to keep, control, or experience as one's own"?

When "Had" (verb) means to keep, control, or experience as one's own, synonyms include commanded, enjoyed, held, owned, possessed and retained. Opposites in this sense include lacked and wanted.

What is another word for "Had" meaning "to agree to receive whether willingly or reluctantly"?

When "Had" (verb) means to agree to receive whether willingly or reluctantly, synonyms include accepted and took. Opposites in this sense include declined, denied, disallowed and disapproved.