'd

See also: Appendix:Variations of "d"

English

Etymology

Contraction of would or had.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d/
• (US) IPA^(key): /d/, [d], [d̚]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Verb

'd (clitic)

1. Contraction of had (as an auxiliary verb).
   • He’d done his best, but it hadn't been enough.
   • You’d seen it before anyone else had.
   • I’d better not.
   • 1861 George Eliot, Silas Marner, Chapter VI

     p’rhaps you didn’t say the cow was a red Durham; and p’rhaps you didn’t say she’d got a star on her brow

2. Contraction of had (as a main verb, but not a phrasal verb).
   • 1920 Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles Chapter II

     “He’s a dear little man,” said Cynthia. “I’d no idea you knew him.”

   • 1963 Peter, Paul and Mary, "Polly Von":

     She'd her apron wrapped about her and he took her for a swan.

   • 1974 Stanley Middleton, Holiday

     She’d two advantages over him: she’d more fire and a complete conviction she was in the right.

3. Contraction of would, contraction of should.

   Synonym: 'ld

   I’d like to help, but I have no time.

4. (colloquial) Contraction of did.

   Hey, where’d everybody go? Why’d they take off?

   Why the hell'd you do that?

Usage notes

• Usually a representation of informal speech.
• Compare -'d.

See also

• ’ll
• ’m
• ’re
• ’s (third person)
• ’ve

Anagrams

• d'

Romagnol

Alternative forms

• d'

Preposition

'd

1. Apocopic form of ad (“of”)