wade

1 of 2

verb

ˈwād 

waded; wading

intransitive verb

1

: to step in or through a medium (such as water) offering more resistance than air

2

: to move or proceed with difficulty or labor

wade through the crowd

wade through all the evidence

3

: to set to work or attack with determination or vigor

—used with in or into

wade into a task

transitive verb

: to pass or cross by wading

wadable adjective

or wadeable

ˈwā-də-bəl 

wade

2 of 2

noun

: an act of wading

a wade in the brook

Synonyms of wade

Verb

• tackle
• have at
• dive (into)
• approach
• undertake
• fall (to)
• address
• attack

Examples of wade in a Sentence

Verb

We waded into the ocean.

I jumped off the boat and waded back to shore.

Police waded into the crowd.

We waded through the crowded bus station.

It took several weeks to wade through all the evidence.

We waded our way through the crowd.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

So if the destination is far enough, this mechanical bird would rather climb out, fly over, and dive back in later – the same logic that makes a person choose to walk around the edge of a lake instead of wading through waist-deep water. — New Atlas, 13 July 2026

In Louisiana, thunderstorms dumped several inches of rain on New Orleans, forcing families to wade through knee-high water. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 12 July 2026

As the judges waded in, some in the eager crowd wanted to talk about money in politics, the Supreme Court's most recent decisions and the voter ID legislation the president wants Congress to pass. — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 11 July 2026

For all intents and purposes, an unknown actor can wade unburdened into the depths of Bond, able to transform without a viewer’s prior expectation tainting the image of 007. — Emily Maskell, IndieWire, 10 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English wadan; akin to Old High German watan to go, wade, Latin vadere to go

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1665, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wade

• aid
• aide
• bade
• blade
• braid
• clade
• dade
• fade
• flayed
• fraid
• frayed
• gade

Kids Definition

wade

verb

ˈwād

waded; wading

1

: to step in or through a substance (as water, mud, or sand) that is thicker than air

2

a

: to move or proceed slowly or with difficulty

wade through a dull book

b

: to attack or work energetically

waded into their chores

3

: to pass or cross by wading

wade a stream