laid
6 synonyms for laid, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — Past tense and past participle of "lay" — to have placed something down.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
put down
deposited
Synonyms by Meaning
1. verb
Past tense and past participle of "lay" — to have placed something down.
“She laid the baby gently in the crib.”
2. adj
Marked with fine parallel ribbing, as in a type of paper made using a ribbed mould.
“The invitations were printed on cream laid paper.”
Frequently asked questions
What does “laid” mean?
The word “laid” means past tense and past participle of "lay" — to have placed something down. In plain terms, the past form of "lay" (to put something down), or, less commonly, a description of ribbed paper.
How do you pronounce “laid”?
“Laid” is pronounced layd (/leɪd/ in IPA).
How do you use “laid” in a sentence?
Here is “laid” used in a sentence: “She laid the baby gently in the crib.”
What part of speech is “laid”?
Depending on how it is used, “laid” can be a verb and an adjective.
Is “laid” a common word?
“Laid” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “laid” have?
“Laid” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: past tense and past participle of "lay" — to have placed something down.
What is the difference between laid, lay, and lain?
"Laid" is the past tense of "lay" (to put something down): "she laid the book on the table." "Lay" is also the present of that verb and the past tense of "lie" (to recline): "he lay down." "Lain" is the past participle of "lie": "he had lain there for hours." The trick is whether an object is being placed.
Is it "laid" or "layed"?
It is always "laid." "Layed" is a common misspelling and is not accepted in standard English. Although many verbs form the past tense by adding "-ed," "lay" is irregular, so both its past tense and past participle are spelled "laid" — as in "he laid the bricks" and "the bricks were laid."
When should I use laid versus lay?
Use "laid" for the past: "yesterday I laid the tiles." Use "lay" for the present tense of placing something down: "each day I lay the tiles." Confusingly, "lay" is also the past of "lie" (to recline). If there is a direct object being set down, the past form you want is "laid."
