Standard Lemma guide

wend

noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /wɛnd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • pin-pen-merger: /wɪ̟nd/
  • rhymes with -ɛnd
  • homophone: wind (pin-pen merger)
  • homophone: when'd
  • CMU ARPABET: W EH1 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A large extent of ground; a perambulation; a circuit

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, obsolete

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland; a Sorb; a Kashub.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A Slavic person living anywhere in the vicinity of German-speaking areas.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • We wended our weary way westward.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To turn; change, to adapt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To turn; make a turn; go round; veer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To pass away; disappear; depart; vanish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

direct one's course or way

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • wend your way through the crowds

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: travel, go, move, locomote

History

Etymology

From Middle English wenden, from Old English wendan (“to turn, change, translate”), from Proto-West Germanic *wandijan, from Proto-Germanic *wandijaną (“to turn”), causative of *windaną (“to wind”), from Proto-Indo-European *wendh- (“to turn, wind, braid”). Cognate with Dutch wenden (“to turn”), German wenden (“to turn, reverse”), Danish vende (“to turn”), Norwegian Bokmål vende (“to turn”), Norwegian Nynorsk venda (“to turn”), Swedish vända (“to turn, turn over, veer, direct”), Icelandic venda (“to wend, turn, change”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wandjan, “to cause to turn”). Related to wind (Etymology 2).

From German Wende, from Proto-Germanic *Winidaz, the same source as Old English Winedas (“Slavs”).

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: vender — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Esperanto: Vendo — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Finnish: vendi — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • French: Wende — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • German: Wende — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • German: Wendin — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Italian: venedo — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Italian: vendo — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Norwegian Bokmål: vender — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: vender — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Old English: Winedas — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Old Norse: vindr — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Old Norse: vendr — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Polish: Wend — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Portuguese: vendo — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Russian: венд (vend) — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Russian: винд (vind) — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Russian: вене́д (venéd) — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Spanish: vendo — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Ukrainian: венд (vend) — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Ukrainian: вінд (vind) — member of a Slavic people from the borders of Germany and Poland
  • Bulgarian: тръгвам (trǎgvam) — to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
  • Bulgarian: отправям се (otpravjam se) — to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
  • Czech: ubírat se — to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
  • Czech: směřovat — to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
  • Czech: namířit si to — to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
  • German: folgen — to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
  • German: verfolgen — to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
  • Russian: направляться (napravljatʹsja) — to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
  • Turkish: yönelmek — to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way
  • Ukrainian: прямувати (prjamuvaty) — to direct (one's way or course); pursue one's way; proceed upon some course or way