Dictionary

1wade

verb \ˈwād\

: to walk through water

: to move or proceed with difficulty

: to become involved in a discussion, situation, activity, etc., in a forceful, direct, or careless way

wad·edwad·ing

Full Definition of WADE

intransitive verb
1
:  to step in or through a medium (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
wad·able or wade·able \ˈwā-də-bəl\ adjective
ADVERTISEMENT

Origin of WADE

Middle English, from Old English wadan; akin to Old High German watan to go, wade, Latin vadere to go
First Known Use: 13th century

2wade

noun

Definition of WADE

:  an act of wading <a wade in the brook>

First Known Use of WADE

1665
WADE[1] Defined for Kids

wade

verb \ˈwād\
wad·edwad·ing

Definition of WADE for Kids

1
:  to walk through something (as water, snow, or a crowd) that makes it hard to move
2
:  to pass or cross by stepping through water <We decided to wade the stream.>
3
:  to proceed with difficulty <She's wading through paperwork.>

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: Wade–GilesPrevious Word in the Dictionary: waddy All Words Near: wade
ADVERTISEMENT
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears