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

Warren Buffett and other executives have previously waded into the political arena feet first. —Greg McKenna, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024

Amid the pandemic, and a boom in stablecoins, Stripe waded back in with a new approach, releasing crypto-payouts and fiat-to-crypto on-ramps. —Lucinda Shen, Axios, 17 Oct. 2024

The shoes are comfy enough to hike in (wet or dry), and save me from wading in my trail runners on a long day of fall hiking and fishing. —The Editors, Outside Online, 16 Oct. 2024

The aviation industry is continuing to wade through production challenges and supply chain shortages, leading to hefty order backlogs at the likes of Airbus and Boeing. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 10 Oct. 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