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adj Common

sailed

sayld

Sailed (adj) means having sails, or having the sails raised and set. Example: “The fully sailed ship cut smoothly through the waves.”

adj
1
Having sails, or having the sails raised and set.
"The fully sailed ship cut smoothly through the waves."

How to use sailed

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDescribes a vessel that has (or has set) its sails — most often encountered as the past tense of "sail" (e.g., "we sailed yesterday").

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The fully _____ ship cut smoothly through the waves.

Rhymes for sailed

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Frequently asked questions

What does “sailed” mean?

The word “sailed” means having sails, or having the sails raised and set. In plain terms, describes a vessel that has (or has set) its sails — most often encountered as the past tense of "sail" (e.g., "we sailed yesterday").

How do you pronounce “sailed”?

“Sailed” is pronounced sayld (/seɪld/ in IPA).

How do you use “sailed” in a sentence?

Here is “sailed” used in a sentence: “The fully sailed ship cut smoothly through the waves.”

What part of speech is “sailed”?

“Sailed” is an adjective.

Is “sailed” a common word?

“Sailed” is a fairly common word in modern English.

What is the difference between a "sailed" ship and a "sailing" ship?

"Sailed" describes a vessel that already has its sails raised and set, so the state is complete, while "sailing" describes the ongoing action of moving under sail. In practice "sailed" is used far less often as a plain adjective; it survives mainly in compound forms like "full-sailed" or "square-sailed."

Is "sailed" usually used on its own or as part of a compound word?

"Sailed" almost always appears as the second half of a compound adjective, such as "three-sailed" or "square-sailed," describing the number or shape of a ship's sails. Used alone and without a prefix, it is rare in modern English outside of specialised nautical or historical writing.

Can "sailed" be confused with the past tense of the verb "sail"?

Yes, "sailed" is also the standard past tense of the verb "to sail," as in "the ship sailed at dawn." Context decides the meaning: as a past-tense verb it describes an action that happened, while as an adjective it describes a ship's physical state of having sails set.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial