farewell

imperative verb

fare·well | \ fer-ˈwel

Definition of farewell

(Entry 1 of 4)

: get along well —used interjectionally to or by one departing

farewell

noun

fare·well | \ fer-ˈwel

Definition of farewell (Entry 2 of 4)

1 : a wish of well-being at parting : goodbye said their farewells and headed home

2a : an act of departure : leave-taking I will take my farewell of this place tomorrow.

b : a formal occasion honoring a person about to leave or retire held a great farewell for the retiring senator

farewell

verb

fare·well | \ fer-ˈwel

Definition of farewell (Entry 3 of 4)

transitive verb

chiefly Australia and New Zealand

: to bid farewell to

farewell

adjective

fare·well | \ ˈfer-ˌwel

Definition of farewell (Entry 4 of 4)

: of or relating to leave-taking : final a farewell performance

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about farewell

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Synonyms & Antonyms for farewell

Synonyms: Noun

adieu, au revoir, ave, bon voyage, congé (also congee), Godspeed, good-bye (or good-by)

Synonyms: Adjective

parting, valedictory

Antonyms: Noun

hello

Examples of farewell in a Sentence

Noun

They said their farewells and headed home. the exchange student and her host family said their tearful farewells, promising to keep in touch

Verb

The retiring teacher was farewelled by the whole school at a special assembly.

Adjective

The band gave a farewell concert. the singer's farewell tour seemed to last almost as long as her entire career

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Sharon also shared an update on Ozzy's health, as the veteran rocker has had to delay his farewell tour due to the flu (which led to pneumonia) as well as a fall that resulted in spinal surgery and two other major operations. — Taylor Weatherby, Billboard, "Sharon Osbourne Reveals Ozzy's Collaboration With Post Malone Took '30 Minutes'," 12 Sep. 2019 His mop-toppish haircut gives him the look of some British Invasion musician on a farewell tour and his blue eyes shine through very '80s eyeglass frames. — Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, "How an Alabama company made Kiss pyro and fake blood," 28 July 2019 Recent farewells include the Mission’s Lucca Ravioli after 94 years, Hayes Valley’s Jardiniere after 22 years and Bernal Heights’ Avedano’s after 12 years. — Janelle Bitker, SFChronicle.com, "Mission Pie becomes the latest closure to break San Francisco’s heart," 17 June 2019 And they like we are gladdened by the sun’s kiss on the water, thrilled by the arrival of a child, and broken when farewell must come. — Sean Quinton, The Seattle Times, "‘I have not slept in days’: Readers react to Tahlequah, the mother orca clinging to her dead calf," 5 Aug. 2018 Daenerys Targaryen—booked it back to Ireland to say her final farewell to Thrones‘ most prominent filming location. — Megan Mccluskey, Time, "Try Not to Get Emotional About Emilia Clarke's Official Goodbye to Game of Thrones," 18 June 2018 The melody is no longer a farewell but a welcome mat to the ears to come inside. — Mark Swed, latimes.com, "A festival's final concert brings the microtonal outsiders in," 17 June 2018 Hail and farewell Talent, character, work ethic all braid together to fulfill human potential in the great ones. — Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, "Ohio State's Kyle Snyder says farewell at NCAA Wrestling Championships: Bill Livingston (photos)," 14 Mar. 2018 But this will be not only the last Kansas City-Oakland game in the history of the rivalry, but also a temporary farewell as the Raiders leave and don’t return until Nov. 3 against the Detroit Lions. — Jerry Mcdonald, The Mercury News, "Five keys for the Raiders against AFC West powerhouse Kansas City," 14 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Return to Kathmandu to explore the shrines, markets, and labyrinthine streets of the old city, then enjoy a farewell dinner before flying home. — National Geographic, "Nepal Community Service: Sustainable Development and Rural Livelihoods," 10 Sep. 2019 Children and their parents showered him with farewell cards. — Ian Shapira, Anchorage Daily News, "The parking garage beating lasted 10 seconds. DeAndre Harris still lives with the damage.," 17 Sep. 2019 Four children aged 10 to 14 packed fishing rods in a parent’s SUV, left a farewell note and drove more than 600 miles down the east coast of Australia before they were detained by police. — NBC News, "Kids drove 600 miles down Australian coast before being stopped by police," 15 July 2019 The Belgian brought his Stamford Bridge career to an end by scoring 21 and assisting 17 in all competitions, lifting the Europa League in his farewell appearance. — SI.com, "FIFPro Men's World 11: Predicting the Final XI for The 2019 Award," 6 Sep. 2019 Check out five highlights of the band’s local farewell performance: 1. — David Lindquist, Indianapolis Star, "Once more, with bombast: Kiss delivers bold farewell to Indianapolis," 1 Sep. 2019 At a farewell event for former press secretary Sarah Sanders, Westerhout bragged about her gatekeeper status. — Arden Farhi, CBS News, "Trump addresses abrupt departure of his personal assistant Madeleine Westerhout," 30 Aug. 2019 Sunday afternoon closed down the season with the king of Tanglewood traditions, the farewell performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "At Tanglewood, summer ends with film giant John Williams and other time-honored traditions," 26 Aug. 2019 The Cubs on Thursday presented Bruce Bochy with a Wrigley Field scoreboard panel with his jersey number 15 inscribed as a farewell gift. — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Joe Maddon and Bruce Bochy believe baseball managers should be valued and compensated like NFL and NBA coaches," 22 Aug. 2019

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