abide

verb

ə-ˈbīd How to pronounce abide (audio)
Definition of abidenext
1
as in to remain
to continue to be in a place for a significant amount of time refused to abide where it was clear that he wasn't wanted

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to live
to have a home the charming fantasy that fairies abide in the cup-shaped flowers dotting the woodland floor

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to tolerate
to put up with (something painful or difficult) cannot abide being in huge crowds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to continue
to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state the village's once-honored ways no longer abide and now exist only in the memories of a few elders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb abide differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of abide are bear, endure, stand, suffer, and tolerate. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

When is bear a more appropriate choice than abide?

The words bear and abide are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

When could endure be used to replace abide?

While in some cases nearly identical to abide, endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

In what contexts can stand take the place of abide?

The meanings of stand and abide largely overlap; however, stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When might suffer be a better fit than abide?

The synonyms suffer and abide are sometimes interchangeable, but suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

When can tolerate be used instead of abide?

The words tolerate and abide can be used in similar contexts, but tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abide My abiding memory of that night is sitting on the hood of my car talking to a crew member on the street after the show and watching David Bowie leave the club alone. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026 Here, Ava Wallace, Matt Futterman and James Hansen present their takeaways from the final Grand Slam of 2026, from the best matches and biggest upsets to their abiding memories. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 What ultimately did was rewarding the law-abiding ones with fewer red lights. — Jeff McMurray, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 That the Philippines sits on the same side of the date line as the rest of Asia and that Alaska observes the same date as the contiguous US are preferences the current iteration of the IDL still abides to. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abide
  1. remain
  2. live
  3. tolerate
  4. continue
  5. stay
  6. reside
  7. endure
  8. last
Verb
  • Such calculations are part of a wider effort to understand why molecular simulations remain challenging.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • LaGrone was directed not to possess weapons, alcohol or drugs and remain under the care of a person whose initials are noted in a document.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of remain
Verb
  • The White House has grappled with how to address the cost of living ahead of the midterms, which are less than two weeks away.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Old women lived there, lined up in front of the doors seeking shade, gathered at the laundry pool chatting for hours, discussing the Colony and the young folk and how life often goes on too long.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of live
Verb
  • Other individuals simply need help learning to tolerate the discomfort of seeing trypophobic images.
    — Gabriela Galvin, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
  • No more broken promises, rampant corruption, or tolerating an elite class living in luxury while the citizens are ignored.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of tolerate
Verb
  • But Griffin’s focus on the Times story and other fallout has, acquaintances say, continued.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • This allows the motorcycle to continue moving across the river after accelerating on land.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of continue
Verb
  • But scientific progress rarely stays within neat national boxes for long, even when governments would prefer it to.
    — Ruby Wang, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • His teachers attributed the problem to his inability to stay focused while using an iPad throughout the day, Byock said.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of stay
Verb
  • Foreign rules, domestic impact Some of these government measures only affect people residing in their countries.
    — Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Andrew Luster, the great-grandson of cosmetics mogul Max Factor, was released from state prison earlier this month and is reportedly residing in Glendora, California, according to KTLA.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of reside
Verb
  • The Ukrainian capital endured a noisy night as 21 ballistic missiles came in three waves, Zelenskyy said, smashing apartment buildings, energy facilities, a railway station and the Kyiv subway system, shopping malls and businesses.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Lebanon endured an intense civil war.
    — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of endure
Verb
  • Its stainless steel body can last for years of making pour-over coffee every morning or evening cups of hot tea, and the kettle also comes in handy to boil water fast for everyday recipes.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Tehran fears that surrendering its maritime leverage first would invite fresh demands; Washington worries that easing pressure would reward coercion without securing lasting constraints on Iran’s nuclear program.
    — Ali Vaez, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of last

Phrases Containing abide

Browse Nearby Words

abidances
abide
abide (beyond)
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Abide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abide. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All