wade

1 of 2

verb

ˈwād 

waded; wading

intransitive verb

1

: to step in or through a medium (such as water) offering more resistance than air

2

: to move or proceed with difficulty or labor

wade through the crowd

wade through all the evidence

3

: to set to work or attack with determination or vigor

—used with in or into

wade into a task

transitive verb

: to pass or cross by wading

wadable adjective

or wadeable

ˈwā-də-bəl 

wade

2 of 2

noun

: an act of wading

a wade in the brook

Synonyms

Verb

• attack
• dive (into)
• tackle

Examples of wade in a Sentence

Verb

We waded into the ocean.

I jumped off the boat and waded back to shore.

Police waded into the crowd.

We waded through the crowded bus station.

It took several weeks to wade through all the evidence.

We waded our way through the crowd.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The series is still going strong thanks to numerous sequels and a spinoff, wading into such over-the-top territory that the initial street racing conceit is now little more than window dressing. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 20 Nov. 2024

This seems to be another instance of an aggressive ideological minority demanding that companies wade into the treacherous seas of political activism. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is staying away from making any public statements about the election after wading into the issue in September. —Brad Dress, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024

That is something that the right has figured out and weaponized and the left is grappling with and wading into. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English wadan; akin to Old High German watan to go, wade, Latin vadere to go

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1665, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

wade

verb

ˈwād

waded; wading

1

: to step in or through a substance (as water, mud, or sand) that is thicker than air

2

a

: to move or proceed slowly or with difficulty

wade through a dull book

b

: to attack or work energetically

waded into their chores

3

: to pass or cross by wading

wade a stream