English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
noun A2 Elementary Common

bride

bryd
Quiz me More like this

Bride (noun) means a woman who is getting married or has just married. Example: “The bride smiled as her father adjusted her veil before the ceremony.”

noun
1
A woman who is getting married or has just married.
"The bride smiled as her father adjusted her veil before the ceremony."
"The bride walked down the aisle to loud applause."
"Her sister was chosen to be the bride's maid of honour."
"Sophia broke down here. Even at this moment she was subconsciously comparing her rendering of the part of the forlorn bride with Miss Marie Lohr's." — Ben Travers (1921)

How to use bride

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe woman in a wedding — the one getting married.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
the bride and groom a blushing bride bride-to-be
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like bride.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice

Word forms

Plural
brides
Third person singular
brides
Past tense
brided
Test yourself on “bride” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The _____ smiled as her father adjusted her veil before the ceremony.

Etymology

From Old English brȳd, an ancient Germanic word for "bride" found in close relatives across nearly every Germanic language, including German Braut and Dutch bruid.

Origin: Old English

newlywed honeymooner wife-to-be

Related words

Rhymes for bride

See all rhymes for bride →

Frequently asked questions

What does “bride” mean?
The word “bride” means a woman who is getting married or has just married. In plain terms, the woman in a wedding — the one getting married.
How do you pronounce “bride”?
“Bride” is pronounced bryd (/bɹaɪd/ in IPA).
How do you use “bride” in a sentence?
Here is “bride” used in a sentence: “The bride walked down the aisle to loud applause.”
What part of speech is “bride”?
“Bride” is a noun.
Where does the word “bride” come from?
The word “bride” comes from Old English. From Old English brȳd, an ancient Germanic word for "bride" found in close relatives across nearly every Germanic language, including German Braut and Dutch bruid.
Is “bride” a common word?
“Bride” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
What is the difference between a bride and a fiancée?
A fiancée is a woman who is engaged to be married, during the period before the wedding. She becomes a bride around the wedding itself, since bride refers to a woman who is getting married or has just married.
How long is a woman called a bride after the wedding?
There is no fixed rule, but "bride" normally applies on the wedding day and shortly afterward. Once the wedding period has passed, "newlywed" is the usual word for the following weeks and months of the marriage.
What is the difference between a bride and a bridesmaid?
The bride is the woman who is getting married. A bridesmaid is a friend or relative chosen to attend and support her during the wedding, and the chief bridesmaid is often called the maid of honor — or matron of honor if she is herself married.
What do you call the man a bride is marrying?
The man getting married is the bridegroom, almost always shortened to groom in everyday use. Together the couple are the bride and groom, and after the ceremony they are commonly described as newlyweds.

Featured in

People also searched