abide

verb

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\ ə-ˈbīd

abided also abode\ ə-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 These officers serve the vital role of helping the protect the public while working to help former inmates successfully transition to productive and law-abiding lives. — Leada Gore | Lgore@al.com, al, "Alabama Bureau of Pardon and Paroles wants to hire 138 new officers," 21 Feb. 2020 How $150,000 fueled 'Love Over Dose' Usually, YAT students and teachers develop plays under the same time and financial constraints that voice lessons, piano recitals and soccer practices must abide by. — Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "Teaching theater helped him beat heroin. Now he's using a play to keep kids from addiction," 6 Feb. 2020 Landlords who don’t abide by the rules can face fines of up to €500,000. — Bojan Pancevski, WSJ, "Berlin Declares War on Rising Rents," 30 Jan. 2020 To avoid this, Henke recommends abiding by his personal rule: never have two bad meals in a row. — Harry Guinness, Popular Science, "How to fit in a workout while you travel," 22 Jan. 2020 Khris Middleton went to Paris as part of a college trip, something that meant abiding by a set, regimented schedule complete with curfews. — Matt Velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bucks take 7-game winning streak worldwide: They'll play in Paris this week," 21 Jan. 2020 Residents complained bitterly about how Catallo had failed to abide by previous agreements. — Bill Laitner, Detroit Free Press, "Berkley delays vote in parking battle with Vinsetta Garage eatery," 7 Jan. 2020 Jeffrey Harris argued the case on behalf of Bernecker's mother, urging jurors to find that the production failed to abide by its own safety rules. — NBC News, "Jury awards $8.6 million in death of 'Walking Dead' stuntman," 20 Dec. 2019 In May last year, the Appellate Body agreed that the EU and four of its member states — Britain, France, Germany and Spain — had failed to abide by an earlier compliance panel ruling. — Jamey Keaten, chicagotribune.com, "Europe loses another round in Boeing-Airbus trade battle," 2 Dec. 2019

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