Oxford logo
Toggle navigation
Redeem
Upgrade
Help
Sign in
Dictionaries
Dictionaries home
English
American English
Academic
Collocations
German-English
Grammar
Grammar home
Practical English Usage
Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
Word Lists
Word Lists home
My Word Lists
Topics
Recent additions
Resources
Resources home
Text Checker
Sign in
Dictionaries
Dictionaries home
English
American English
Academic
Collocations
German-English
Grammar
Grammar home
Practical English Usage
Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
Word Lists
Word Lists home
My Word Lists
Topics
Recent additions
Resources
Resources home
Text Checker
Redeem
Upgrade
Help
TOP
American English
English
American English
Academic English
Collocations
Practical English Usage
German-English
English-German
English
American English
Enter search text
Definition of
were
from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
were
NAmE
/
/
wər
/
/
jump to other results
see
be
See
were
in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation:
were
Other results
All matches
be
verb
be
auxiliary verb
'twere
abbreviation
as it were
if I were you
those were the days
if I were in your shoes
if I was/were in your place
there
adverb
if wishes were horses, beggars would/might ride
See more
Idioms
as it were
if I were you
those were the days
if I were in your shoes
if I was/were in your place
if wishes were horses, beggars would/might ride
See more
Nearby words
went
wept
were
we're
short form
weren't
short form