were

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Verb 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 See also 1.4 Noun

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Old English wǣre.

[edit] Pronunciation

• (stressed)
  • (UK) IPA: /wɜː(ɹ)/, SAMPA: /w3:(r\)/
  • (US) enPR: wûr, IPA: /wɝ/, SAMPA: /w3`/
• (unstressed)
  • (UK) IPA: /wə(ɹ)/, SAMPA: /w@(r\)/
  • (US) enPR: wər, IPA: /wɚ/, SAMPA: /w@`/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

Rhymes: -ɜː(r)

• Homophones: whirr (in accents with the wine-whine merger)

[edit] Verb

were

1. Second-person singular simple past tense indicative of be.

   John, you were the only person to see him.

2. First-person plural simple past tense indicative of be.

   We were about to leave.

3. Second-person plural simple past tense indicative of be.

   Mary and John, you were right.

4. Third-person plural simple past tense indicative of be.

   They were a fine group.

5. Simple imperfect subjunctive in all persons of be.

   I wish it were Sunday.

   I wish I were with you.

   • with "if" omitted, put first in an "if" clause:

     Were it simply that she wore a hat, I would not be upset at all. (= If it were simply...)

     Were father a king, we would have war. (= If father were a king,...)

6. (Northern England) was.

[edit] Synonyms

• (second-person singular past indicative, archaic) wast (used with "thou")
• (second-person singular imperfect subjunctive, archaic) wert (used with "thou")

[edit] See also

am are is art be being

been beest was wast wert

[edit] Noun

Wikipedia

were (plural weres)

1. (archaic) man (human male) – see werewolf, weregild, world.