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to wade

to wade

22 2.2
To walk through shallow water or mud with effort
  • verb
  • /weɪd/
translation icon : vadear
  • The biologist waded into the water, motioning for the Humane Society to follow him.

It's it's a matter of time before you cannot wade through that toxic sludge anymore.

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Examples

  • Couldn't see a bridge, so l waded across.

  • Bela rolls up his pants and wades out into the water.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Well, your father waded in to stop it...

  • When it started getting too rough, I waded in and cleared things out.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • He waded in, up to his neck.

  • Billy began moving away, motioning for him to follow, and he waded after his son.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The Marines at Tarawa waded seven hundred yards through shoulder-deep water under constant machine-gun fire.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • We took our clothes off and waded in, and weren't even deterred by the slimy, muddy bottom.

    Academic text (2009)
  • He waded out into the shallows and he waited there three days and three nights till all manner of sea creatures became acclimated to his presence.

  • We waded through the shallow waters of the lake, feeling the cool water on our legs.

How Hard

to flounder
26 6.6
to trudge
21 5.5
to wade
22 2.2
to walk
1.0

Surface Forms

wade infinitive
waded past
waded past participle
wading present participle
wades third person singular

Etymology

Wade comes from an old German word wadan meaning 'to go' or 'to move', and people began to use it for going through water because moving in water is harder than walking on land. So to wade is to walk through water or another soft thing with effort.