wend

1 of 2

verb

wended; wending; wends

intransitive verb

: to direct one's course : travel

transitive verb

: to proceed on (one's way) : direct

Wend

2 of 2

noun

: a member of a Slavic people of eastern Germany

Examples of wend in a Sentence

Verb We wended through the narrow streets. We wended our way through the narrow streets.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Among those killed was Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, 65, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps general in charge of Iran’s covert operations in Syria and Lebanon through which parts of the weapons smuggling trail wends, the Israeli, Iranian and American officials said. Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024 With spring in the Northern Hemisphere in full bloom, forests are again beckoning hikers onto paths that wend their way through thousands of acres of old growth trees. Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wend 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English wendan; akin to Old High German wenten to turn, Old English windan to twist — more at wind entry 3

Noun

German Wende, from Old High German Winida; akin to Old English Winedas, plural, Wends

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wend was before the 12th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near wend

Cite this Entry

“Wend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wend. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

wend

verb
: to go one's way : proceed
wending their way home
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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