Meaning of would in English

would

modal verb

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

strong /wʊd/ weak /wəd/ weak /əd/ us

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

strong /wʊd/ weak /wəd/ weak /əd/

would modal verb (FUTURE)

(also 'd)

used to refer to future time from the point of view of the past:

He said he would see his brother tomorrow.

They knew there would be trouble unless the report was finished by the next day.

We realized it wouldn't be easy to find another secretary.

would have

used to refer back to a time in the past from a point of view in the future:

We thought they would have got home by five o'clock, but there was no reply when we phoned.

More examples

Such a policy would not be constitutional.
What time would it be convenient for me to come round?
Changing the course of the river would cause serious environmental damage to the whole valley.
I was curious to know what would happen next.
The chief's son would inherit all his dominions.

would modal verb (INTENTION)

(also 'd)

used to refer to an intention from the point of view of the past:

He said he would always love her .

They promised that they would help.

There was nobody left who would (= was willing to) do it.

I asked him to move his car but he said he wouldn't (= he refused).

More examples

The president continued by saying that his country was a free country and would always remain so.
I would like to express my thanks for your kindness.
She promised faithfully that she would never leave him.
My dad said he would help with the costs of buying a house.
We would like to announce the appointment of Julia Lewis as head of sales.

would modal verb (POSSIBILITY)

(also 'd)

used to refer to a situation that you can imagine happening:

I would hate to miss the show.

I'd go myself but I'm too busy.

It would have been very boring to sit through the whole speech.

(also 'd)

used with if in conditional sentences (= sentences that refer to what happens if something else happens):

What would you do if you lost your job?

If I'd had time, I would have gone to see Graham.

More examples

If she ever left him he would be heartbroken.
My mother would worry herself to death if she knew what I was doing.
A nuclear holocaust would leave few survivors.
If you were offered an overseas posting, would you take it?
If he forgot to pay his rent, his landlady would send him a reminder.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Certainty

See more results »

would modal verb (REQUEST)

(also 'd)

used in polite requests and offers:

Would you mind sharing a room?

Would you like me to come with you?

Would you like some cake?

More examples

Would you like to borrow this book?
May I conduct you to your table, sir, or would you prefer to have a drink at the bar first?
Would you like an aisle seat or would you prefer to be by the window?
Is that enough potato, or would you like some more?
Someone's at the door - would you answer it please?

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Polite expressions

See more results »

would modal verb (WILLINGNESS)

past simple of will : used to talk about what someone was willing to do or what something was able to do:

The car wouldn't start this morning.

More examples

This new computer system would save us a lot of time when doing the accounts.
Such a policy would enhance the company's profile abroad.
Thick carpet would reduce the echo in this hallway.
She would let you use her computer if you asked.
I wouldn't get involved if I were you.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Ready and willing

See more results »

would modal verb (FREQUENCY)

(also 'd)

used to talk about things in the past that happened often or always:

He would always turn and wave at the end of the street.

disapproving

(also 'd)

used to suggest that what happens is expected because it is typical, especially of a person's behaviour:

"Madeleine called to say she's too busy to come." "She would - she always has an excuse."

More examples

He would always begin his lectures with a joke.
They would often go for a drink together on Wednesdays.
He would always smoke a cigar after dinner.
She would often forget where she'd put her glasses.
He would say that! He's always got a reason for being late.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Frequency & regularity - general words

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Typifying, illustrating and exemplifying

would modal verb (OPINION)

(also 'd)

used to express an opinion in a polite way without being forceful:

I would think we need to speak to the headteacher about this first.

It's not what we would have expected from a professional service.

More examples

I would class her among/with the top ten American novelists.
I would suggest that you were not adequately prepared for the interview.
We would describe the standard of the food as poor.
I'd have hoped for a better choice of wine to go with the meal.
She'd describe her reaction to the film as one of disappointment.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Expressing and asking opinions

See more results »

would modal verb (ADVISE)

(also 'd)

used after "I" when giving advice:

I wouldn't (= I advise you not to) worry about it, if I were you.

More examples

If you're unsure of your legal rights, I would check with a lawyer.
I wouldn't set off at five o'clock. You'll get caught in the rush hour traffic.
I would add more salt to that.
I would wear something more formal, if I were you.
I wouldn't touch that, it's hot.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Giving advice

See more results »

would modal verb (REASON)

(also 'd)

used after "why" when giving or asking the reason for something:

Why would anyone want to eat something so horrible?

More examples

He came to see you. Why else would he come?
Why would he run away from the scene of the crime if he wasn't guilty?
Why would you drive, when you could take the train?
Why would anyone do such a thing?
They must have split up. Why else would he be moving out?

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Linguistics: question words & expressions

See more results »

would modal verb (PROBABILITY)

(also 'd)

used to refer to what is very likely:

"The guy on the phone had a Southern accent." "That would be Tom."

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Possible and probable

See more results »

Grammar

Should and would

We use should as a more formal alternative to would with I and we in conditional clauses. …

We can use would as a more formal or polite alternative to will in requests. We often use the phrase would you mind + -ing in polite requests. …

Would like

We use would like or ’d like to say politely what we want, especially when making offers and requests: …

Used to

…

Used to: meaning and form

We use used to when we refer to things in the past which are no longer true. It can refer to repeated actions or to a state or situation: …

Used to or would?

We can use used to or would to talk about people’s habits in the past. When we use them both together, used to most commonly comes first, as it sets the scene for the actions being reported: …

Used to or be used to?

Used to refers to actions and situations in the past which no longer happen or are no longer true. It always refers to the past: …

(Definition of would from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

would | American Dictionary

would

modal verb

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

/wʊd, wəd/

would modal verb (FUTURE)

used to refer to future time after a verb in the past tense:

He said he would see his brother tomorrow.

They hoped they would go to France for their next vacation.

would modal verb (INTENTION)

used to express an intention or plan after a verb in a past tense:

He said he would love her forever.

They promised that tomorrow they would help.

would modal verb (REQUEST)

used as a form of will in requests and offers:

"Would you like some cake?" "Yes, I would."

Would you pick up a newspaper on your way home?

would modal verb (POSSIBLE)

used to refer to a possibility or likelihood:

I would hate to miss the show.

Would is used with if in sentences that show what will happen if something else happens:

What would you do if you lost your job?

would modal verb (ALWAYS)

used to suggest that in the past something happened often or always:

In summer my dad would sit on the back porch after supper and read the newspaper.

would

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

/wʊd, wəd/

would (WILL)

past simple of will :

The car wouldn’t start this morning.

(Definition of would from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of would

would

In that case the grammar would have a phonotactic filter permitting /0/ to form nuclei only with single-x nonconsonantal melodies.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Using this medium, we originally planned to provide a sound treatment of side-effects that would be more effective than systematic residualization.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from the Cambridge English Corpus and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

More examples Fewer examples

In successive stages extremely long plans were formed of which probably only the newest phase(s) would have been in use.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

What would happen if these plans were implemented?

From the Cambridge English Corpus

If a player's type can be made common knowledge, rational egoists would not survive.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Hence, it is difficult to explain why players would conceive of the simultaneous move game in sequential terms.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This would provide a qualitative description of the mixing of single-particle and collective effects.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Only quick action would transfer people from relief to work as the president wanted.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The maps deal with climate and emphasise special features relating to rainfall, winds,- etc., which would riot be shown in an ordinary topographical atlas.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In such a framework, there would seem to be no reason not to include social meaning along with 'ordinary' semantics and pragmatics.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Thus, the spending of the new pesticide tax proceeds, to a great extent, would redistribute money from conventional to organic farming.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Thus, for an intensive cropping system, external sources of decomposed organic matter addition would be a better option.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

For her project to succeed fully, she would need to be able to vindicate both her historical and philosophical claims.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Physically, this 6 has the effect of a long-wavelength modulation to the system which would be the same for all the interaction coefficients.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Thus, even if we were measuring the correct symptoms, we could expect that our purely categorical disease would be hidden within a continuous symptom distribution.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Translations of would

in Chinese (Traditional)

in Japanese

in Turkish

in French

in Catalan

in Arabic

in Czech

in Danish

in Indonesian

in Thai

in Vietnamese

in Polish

in Malay

in German

in Norwegian

in Korean

in Portuguese

in Chinese (Simplified)

in Italian

in Russian

in Spanish

未來, （從過去的角度指將來發生的事）將，將要, 意圖…

（もし～ならば）～するだろう, （もし～ならば）するかもしれない, “will” の過去形…

bir şey olursa ondan sonra olabilecek şeyi anlatmada kullanılır (şart cümleciğinin 2. türünde), geçmiş zaman fiil yapısında 'will' yardımcı fiilinin 2. hâli olarak kullanılır, birinin bir şeyi önceden yapmaya istekli olduğunu veya bir şeyin neyi yapabileceğini belirtirken 'will' yardımcı fiilinin geçmiş hâli olarak kullanılır…

verbe au conditionnel présent, vouloir, verbe à l’imparfait…

s’utilitza per a expressar el que passaria si es dóna una condició, passat de “will”, s’utilitza per a parlar de situacions imaginàries…

سَوف, الفِعل الماضي مِنْ will, فِعل مُساعِد…

minulý čas slovesa will, užívá se pro děje, které se stanou n. mohou stát…

ville, det ertypisk!…

akan, mungkin, lebih suka…

จะ, ใช้ในการพูดถึงสิ่งที่จะเกิดขึ้น หรืออาจเกิดขึ้น, ใช้เพื่อแสดงความเห็นอย่างสุภาพ…

quá khứ của will, hỏi lịch sự, nêu quan điểm…

by, często tłumaczymy polskim czasem przyszłym, chcieć…

akan, bakal, memang akan…

Imperfekt von ‘will‘, konditional: würde/n/st, höflicher Ausdruck einer Vorliebe…

ville, skulle, vil…

(상상하는 일이 발생할 경우)-일 것이다, “will”의 과거형으로 쓰임, (상상속에서 일어 날 수 있는 일을 말할때) -일 것이다…

usado para dizer o que talvez aconteça se algo mais acontecer, forma do passado de “will”, usado para falar sobre uma situação que você pode imaginar que aconteça…

未来, （从过去的角度指将来发生的事）将，将要, 意图…

usato per esprimere quello che potrebbe accadere se qualcos’altro accade, usato come passato semplice di “will”, usato per esprimere una situazione che si immagina possa accadere…

вспом. гл. для образования форм сослагательного наклонения, вспом. гл., в придаточном предложении служит для выражения будущего времени…

se usa para expresarse en condicional, pasado de “will”, se usa para hablar de situaciones imaginarias…

Need a translator?

Get a quick, free translation!

Translator tool

What is the pronunciation of would?

Browse

worthwhile

worthy

wot

wotcha

would

would (just) as soon idiom

would give your eyeteeth for sth idiom

would not do sth for all the tea in China idiom

would you like...? idiom

Meaning of would in English

would modal verb (FUTURE)

would modal verb (INTENTION)

would modal verb (POSSIBILITY)

would modal verb (REQUEST)

would modal verb (WILLINGNESS)

would modal verb (FREQUENCY)

would modal verb (OPINION)

would modal verb (ADVISE)

would modal verb (REASON)

would modal verb (PROBABILITY)

Grammar

would | American Dictionary

would modal verb (FUTURE)

would modal verb (INTENTION)

would modal verb (REQUEST)

would modal verb (POSSIBLE)

would modal verb (ALWAYS)

would (WILL)

Examples of would

Translations of would

Browse

Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes