abide

verb

\ ə-ˈbīd

abided also abode\ -ˈbōd

\; abiding

Definition of abide

transitive verb

1a : to bear patiently : tolerate cannot abide such bigots

b : to endure without yielding : withstand abide the onrush of the enemy

2 : to wait for : await I will abide the coming of my lord.— Alfred Tennyson

3 : to accept without objection will abide your decision

intransitive verb

1 : to remain stable or fixed in a state a love that abided with him all his days

2 : to continue in a place : sojourn will abide in the house of the Lord

abide by

1 : to conform to abide by the rules

2 : to accept without objection : to acquiesce in will abide by your decision

Other Words from abide Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym The Use of Abide in Literature and Popular Culture Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about abide

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Choose the Right Synonym for abide

bear, suffer, endure, abide, tolerate, stand mean to put up with something trying or painful. bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking. forced to bear a tragic loss suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing. suffering many insults endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties. endured years of rejection abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest. cannot abide their rudeness tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful. refused to tolerate such treatment stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching. unable to stand teasing

continue, last, endure, abide, persist mean to exist over a period of time or indefinitely. continue applies to a process going on without ending. the search for peace will continue last, especially when unqualified, may stress existing beyond what is normal or expected. buy shoes that will last endure adds an implication of resisting destructive forces or agencies. in spite of everything, her faith endured abide implies stable and constant existing especially as opposed to mutability. a love that abides through 40 years of marriage persist suggests outlasting the normal or appointed time and often connotes obstinacy or doggedness. the sense of guilt persisted

The Use of Abide in Literature and Popular Culture

The comments by users of this dictionary suggest that many people who are interested in the meaning of the word abide are motivated by one of two rather distinct things: the Bible, in which, for instance, Jesus calls upon his followers to "abide in me"; and the movie The Big Lebowski, in which Jeffrey Lebowski (aka "The Dude") proclaims that "The Dude abides." Both the movie and the book have done much to keep the word in general current usage. Though the sources are wildly different, in each of these particular examples, abide is used as it is defined at the first intransitive sense: "to remain stable or fixed in a state." In the phrase "abide in me," Jesus is asking his followers to stay constant in their relationship to him. The exact meaning of "The Dude abides" is a topic of some debate, but clearly there is some notion of the constancy of Lebowski himself—metaphysically perhaps—being asserted.

Although the phrase can’t abide has for some the feeling of a modern colloquialism, it has been pointed out that such use dates back at least as far as Shakespeare: in Henry IV, Part II, Falstaff says “she would always say she could not abide Master Shallow.”

Did You Know?

Abide may sound rather old-fashioned these days. The word has been around since before the 12th century, but it is a bit rare now, except in certain specialized uses. Even more archaic to our modern ear is "abidden," the original past participle of "abide." Today, both the past and the past participle of "abide" are served by either "abode" or "abided," with "abided" being the more frequent choice. "Abide" turns up often in the phrase "can't (or couldn't) abide." The expression "abide by," which means "to conform to" or "to acquiesce in," is also common. Related terms include the participial adjective "abiding" (which means "enduring" or "continuing," as in "an abiding interest in nature"), the noun "abidance" ("continuance" or "compliance"), and the noun "abode" ("residence").

Examples of abide in a Sentence

Now his anger had poisoned all relationships, no one could be put in the two empty beds in the room, and not even his long-suffering sister could abide him in her house. — Peter Pouncey, Rules for Old Men Waiting, 2005 A former party functionary, Yeltsin replaced Communist ideology with a supremely simplified vision of democracy, which boiled down to two tenets: He could not abide Communists, and he supported freedom of the press. — Masha Gessen, New Republic, 5 June 2000 abide in the house of the Lord a love that abided till the end of their lives

Recent Examples on the Web

Meredith Carey won’t abide by any suggestion other than Southwest. — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Traveler 25: A Very Opinionated, Totally Subjective List of Things We Loved About Travel This Year," 14 Dec. 2018 When issuing regulations, federal agencies must abide by constitutional principles and follow the rules set forth by Congress and the President. — Andrew O'reilly, Fox News, "Trump administration is breaking from Obama-era affirmative action policies," 2 Oct. 2018 But the company will abide by the city's decision to temporarily pull scooters off the road, said a Lime spokesman. — Rob Wile, miamiherald, "Scooter companies pulling out of Miami just weeks after making their debut," 21 June 2018 The other five children, though, must abide by the strict schedule. — Dana Rose Falcone, PEOPLE.com, "Why Maddox Jolie-Pitt Isn’t Required to See Dad Brad Pitt Amid Custody Drama with Angelina Jolie," 14 June 2018 The two sides have more or less abided by an armistice signed by US Lt Gen William K Harrison on behalf of South Korea and his North Korean counterpart General Nam Il, on July 27, 1953. — Jamie Tarabay, CNN, "How Trump and Kim made it to 'hello'," 9 June 2018 Throughout the region, there’s an increasing number of people who see both the food surplus and the deficit among people in need, and cannot abide the imbalance. — Alfred Lubrano, Philly.com, "Food rescuers race to battle waste, hunger," 4 June 2018 As of today, Kate Middleton has largely abided by these policies with one or two instances of her publicly appearing in jeans, and the ocassional sleeveless dress. — Amira Rasool, Teen Vogue, "Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding Dress Could Make a Feminist Statement," 18 May 2018 As long as a party that wins an election can’t use its power to lock itself into power permanently, then the losing party can abide defeat peacefully. — Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Why Trump’s Assault on Democracy Doesn’t Bother the Illiberal Left," 16 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abide.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for 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" — more at out entry 1, bide