Definitions for WOULD
wʊd; unstressed wədwould

WiktionaryRate this definition:1.7 / 3 votes

1. wouldverb

   As a past-tense form of will.

2. wouldverb

   As a modal verb.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Wouldthe preterite of will.

   1. It is generally used as an auxiliary verb with an infinitive, to which it gives the force of the subjunctive mood.

   If God’s providence did not so order it, cheats would daily be committed, which would justle private men out of their rights, and unhinge states. John Ray.

   2. I Would do it. My resolution is that it should be done by me. Thou Wou'ldest do it. Such must be the consequence to thee. He Would or it would. This must be the consequence to him or it.3. The plural as the singular.

   He by the rules of his own mind, could construe no other end of mens doings but self-seeking, suddenly feared what they could do, and as suddenly suspected what they would do, and as suddenly hated them, as having both might and mind so to do. Philip Sidney.

   4. Was or am resolved; wish or wished to.

   She would give her a lesson for walking so late, that should make her keep within doors for one fortnight. Philip Sidney.

   Jealous Philoclea, that was even jealous of herself; for Zelmane would needs have her glove. Philip Sidney.

   You would be satisfied? ——
   Would? nay, and will. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   They know not what they are, nor what they would be, any further than that they would not be what they are. Roger L'Estrange.

   It will be needless to enumerate all the simple ideas belonging to each sense: nor indeed is it possible if we would; there being a great many more of them belonging to most of the senses than we have names for. John Locke.

   By pleasure and pain I would be understood to signify, whatsoever delights or molests us, whether from the thoughts of our minds, or any thing operating on our bodies. John Locke.

   5. It is a familiar term for wish to do, or to have.

   What wouldst thou with us? William Shakespeare, King Lear.

   Mr. Slender, what would you with me? ——
   —— I Would little or nothing with you. William Shakespeare.

   6. Should wish.

   Celia! if you apprehend
   The muse of your incensed friend;
   Nor would that he record your blame,
   And make it live; repeat the same;
   Again deceive him, and again,
   And then he swears he’ll not complain. Edmund Waller.

   7. It is used in old authours for should.

   The excess of diet would be avoided. Francis Bacon.

   As for percolation, which belongeth to separation, trial would be made by clarifying by adhesion, with milk put into new beer and stirred with it. Francis Bacon, Natural History.

   8. It has the signification of I wish, or I pray; this, I believe, is improper; and formed by a gradual corruption of the phrase, would God; which originally imported, that God would, might God will, might God decree; from this phrase ill understood came, would to God; thence, I would to God: And thence I would, or elliptically, would come to signify, I wish: and so it is used even in good authours, but ought not to be imitated.

   I would my father look’d but with my eyes. William Shakespeare.

   I would this musick would come. William Shakespeare.

   I, this sound I better know:
   Wise men will do it without a law; I would there might be a law to restrain fools. Francis Bacon, Advice to Villiers.

   List! I would I could hear mo. Ben Jonson.

   This is yet the outward, fairest side
   Of our design: within rests more of fear
   Than my most worthy lords, I would there were. Daniel.

   Would thou hadst hearken’d to my words, and stay’d
   With me, as I besought thee, when that strange
   Desire of wand’ring, this unhappy morn,
   Possess’d thee. John Milton, Paradise Lost.

   Would God we might prevent the need of such unkindly expedients, and by a thankful sense of what we have, provide to conserve it. Decay of Piety.

   I scarce am pleas’d, I tamely mount the throne,
   Would Aurengzebe had all their souls in one. Dryden.

   And would to heav’n the storm you felt, would bring
   On Carthaginian coasts your wand’ring king. Dryden.

2. Weld or or Wouldnoun

   luteola, Latin. Yellow weed, or dyers weed.

   Its leaves are oblong and intire: it has an anomalous flower, consisting of many dissimilar leaves: the fruit is globular, hollow, and divided into three parts. The dyers use it for dying bright yellows and lemon colours; and this is by some supposed to be the plant used by the ancient Picts in painting their bodies. Philip Miller.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. would

   The English modal verbs are a subset of the English auxiliary verbs used mostly to express modality (properties such as possibility, obligation, etc.). They can be distinguished from other verbs by their defectiveness (they do not have participle or infinitive forms) and by their neutralization (that they do not take the ending -(e)s in the third-person singular). The principal English modal verbs are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, and must. Certain other verbs are sometimes classed as modals; these include ought, had better, and (in certain uses) dare and need. Verbs which share only some of the characteristics of the principal modals are sometimes called "quasi-modals", "semi-modals", or "pseudo-modals".

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. would

   The word "would" is a verb form used to express a conditional action or event that is hypothetical, probable, or desired but not yet realized or certain. It often indicates an intention, preference, or possibility in the past, present, or future. Additionally, "would" can function as a modal verb to indicate a polite request, suggestion, or advice.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:4.0 / 2 votes

1. Would

   of Will

2. Wouldverb

   commonly used as an auxiliary verb, either in the past tense or in the conditional or optative present. See 2d & 3d Will

3. Wouldnoun

   see 2d Weld

4. Etymology: [OE. & AS. wolde. See Will, v. t.]

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 3 votes

1. Would

   wood, pa.t. of will.—adj. Would′-be, aspiring, trying, or merely professing to be.—n. a vain pretender. [A.S. wolde, pa.t. of willan.]

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'WOULD' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #43

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'WOULD' in Written Corpus Frequency: #55

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'WOULD' in Verbs Frequency: #6

How to pronounce WOULD?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say WOULD in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of WOULD in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of WOULD in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of WOULD in a Sentence

1. Donald Trump:

   I was not imitating. I would never -- who would ever do that? If somebody had a disability, who would mock a disability? I would never. I'm a smart person ... Who would ever mock somebody, especially if you're running for office? i would have not done it, because it's confusing.

2. Robert Green Ingersoll:

   If a man would follow, today, the teachings of the Old Testament, he would be a criminal. If he would follow strictly the teachings of the New, he would be insane.

3. Planned Parenthood:

   Eyal Press writes in The New Yorker. Audm subscribers can listen to that article.)In the rest of today’s newsletter, we look more closely at the 10 states.Furthest alongInitiatives seem most likely to happen soon in two states.In Ohio, a coalition of abortion rights groups is collecting signatures to place an initiative on the ballot this year that would protect access through roughly the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. For now, most abortions remain legal in Ohio, thanks to a court ruling blocking a ban.In South Dakota, organizers are optimistic that they can collect the signatures needed for an initiative next year. It is a compromise measure that would seek to reinstate the minimum access required by the Roe v. Wade decision. All abortions would be legal in the first trimester (roughly 12 weeks), and some would be in the second trimester.Early effortsIn several other states, efforts have begun, but they’re less advanced.In Missouri, advocates have not yet settled on one approach. Some petitions — an early step to putting an initiative on the ballot — would protect most abortion access until 24 weeks of pregnancy. Others would be narrower and let the state enact parental consent laws.In Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a near-total ban, advocates are hoping to place an initiative on the ballot that would allow most abortions until 24 weeks. But the state’s pro-marijuana movement helps highlight the slowness of the effort: Organizers of a 2024 ballot initiative to legalize marijuana have already raised $30 million and collected nearly all the required signatures — while organizers of an abortion initiative are just getting started.Arizona has tough rules for ballot initiatives, requiring hundreds of thousands of signatures on a petition.

4. Marc Broude:

   If your stories were real I would scream my dissolution amongst the searching soul; if wishes were not so unreal I would disappear, careless, in the wind; and if words were not all vain and meaningless I would tell everyone that life is a state of mind and we are nothing but what we have been told. If changing the world really meant something I would form a new fucking republic; and if truth existed I would kill philosophy; if god existed I would be scared.

5. Pablo Picasso:

   If everybody is looking for it, then nobody is finding it. If we were cultured, we would not be conscious of lacking culture. We would regard it as something natural and would not make so much fuss about it. And if we knew the real value of this word we would be cultured enough not to give it so much importance.

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