abide means to endure without yielding; to withstand. It carries an Arena rating of 1858, earned across 15 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, abide ranks #365 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #1,783 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,929 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #6,203 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words.
abide is pronounced /əˈbaɪd/.
Why “abide” is a great word
To accept, tolerate, or endure a situation or person, often without yielding or protest. Its ancient roots stretch back through Middle English *abyden*, from Old English *ābīdan* (“to abide, wait, remain”), from a Germanic base meaning to wait or expect, intensified by a sense of persistence. Unlike "endure" (which implies successfully withstanding a prolonged hardship) or "tolerate" (which suggests a deliberate, often reluctant, allowance), to abide is to exist with a quiet, patient, and often unprotesting constancy. It is the weathered fencepost standing sentinel in a relentless field, the solemn silence of a house after an argument, or the deep roots of an old tree holding fast against the indifferent seasons—a testament to the quiet strength of simply remaining.
Etymology
From Middle English abyden, from Old English ābīdan (“to abide, wait, remain, delay, remain behind; survive; wait for, await; expect”), from Proto-West Germanic *uʀbīdan, from Proto-Germanic *uzbīdaną (“to expect, tolerate”), equivalent to a- + bide. Cognate with Scots abide (“to abide, remain”), Middle High German erbīten (“to await, expect”), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌽 (usbeidan, “to expect, await, have patience”). The sense of pay for is due to influence from aby.
verb
- To endure without yielding; to withstand.e.g.“The old oak tree abides the wind endlessly.”
- To bear patiently.e.g.“"I never could abide shoemakers," said an old servant,—and it ended in her marrying one.”
- To pay for; to stand the consequences of.
- Used in a phrasal verb: abide by (“to accept and act in accordance with”).e.g.“The new teacher was strict and the students did not want to abide by his rules.”
- To wait in expectation.
- To pause; to delay.
- To stay; to continue in a place; to remain stable or fixed in some state or condition; to be left.e.g.“One generation passeth away, and another generation commeth: but the earth abideth for euer.” — 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiastes 1:4:
- To have one's abode.
- To endure; to remain; to last.e.g.“The Dude abides.” — 1998, Joel and Ethan Coen, The Big Lebowski (motion picture), spoken by Narrator (Sam Elliot):
- To stand ready for; to await for someone; watch for.
- To endure or undergo a hard trial or a task; to stand up under.e.g.“[…]And shalt abide her judgment on it.” — 1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Enid”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 31:
- To await submissively; accept without question; submit to.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- bide 77% match — To bear; to endure; to tolerate. vs abide →
- abiding 76% match — Continuing or persisting in the same state: lasting, enduring; steadfast. vs abide →
- endure 74% match — To continue or carry on, despite obstacles or hardships; to persist. vs abide →
- withstand 74% match — To resist or endure (something) successfully. vs abide →
- abider 73% match — One who abides, or continues. vs abide →
- abidance 72% match — The act of abiding or continuing; abode; stay; continuance; dwelling. vs abide →
- offstand 67% match — To endure against; stand or ward off; defend against; withstand; resist. vs abide →
- abidal 66% match — The act or condition of abiding; residence, stay. vs abide →