I. (|)wi]th, ]th, _wə] preposition
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English, preposition & adverb, against, opposite, toward, with; akin to Old English wither against, Old Saxon with, withar against, with, Old High German widar against, back, again, Old Norse vith, vithr against, with, Gothic withra against, Old Slavic vŭtorŭ other, second, Sanskrit vi apart, asunder, vitaram farther and perhaps to Latin vitium fault, vice; basic meaning: apart, divided
1.
a. : in opposition to : against
fought bitterly with his partner
had had a constant tussle with insomnia — Lucien Price
b. : away from : so as to be separated or detached from
broke with his family and left home
refused adamantly to part with any of his most cherished possessions
2.
a. : alongside of : near to
the boat was running close in with the land
b. : in a line or on a course paralleling the direction or movement of
with the grain
with the wind
c. : in the same direction as the course or motion of : favorable to
the wind was with the boat
the tide is with us
3.
a. — used as a function word to indicate one to whom a communication or statement is made
a grave mistake to go into long explanations with such a person — W.J.Reilly
b. archaic : in the mind or will of : within
consider with yourselves, to bring in … a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing — Shakespeare
4.
a. — used as a function word to indicate one that shares in an action, transaction, or arrangement
we who have worked with them day and night — J.K.Blake
three quarters of its annual business … is now done with Americans — E.O.Hauser
a salon … brought off in an academic town with young men and women on cookies and hot chocolate — Lucien Price
b. — used as a function word to indicate the object of attention, behavior, or feeling
their satisfaction with the institution — E.P.Vonderhaar
get tough with him
angry with her
in love with her
c. : in respect to : so far as concerns
on friendly terms with all nations
expressed agreement with his views
seemed to be all right with her whether we bought or not — G.P.Musselman
d. — used to indicate the object of an adverbial expression of imperative force
off with his head
away with him
e. : as the doer, giver, or victim of
charged with murder
threatened with tuberculosis
f. : over , upon
no longer has any influence with him
g. : in the performance, operation, or use of
prospering with their dairy industry — C.B.Hitchcock
the trouble with this machine
something went wrong with the radio
5.
a. — used as a function word to indicate the object of a statement of comparison, equality, or sameness
this house is identical with the one you have just seen
on equal terms with the other applicants
b. — used as a function word to express agreement or concurrence
if we accept this evidence we must conclude, with him, that the painting is a forgery
oar flashing with oar
c. : on the side of : willing to give aid or support to : for
if he's trying to cut down accidents, I'm with him
the election will show whether the people are with him in this new policy
d. : as well as : not inferior to
can pitch with the best of them
6.
a. : in the judgment or estimation of
he stood well with his fellow classmates
b. : in or according to the experience or practice of
with many of us, our ideas seem to fall by the wayside — W.J.Reilly
with the surrealists … the ideal is nothing else than the material world reflected by the human mind — Herbert Read
an accustomed action with her, to seem thus washing her hands — Shakespeare
c. : after the manner, judgment, or practice of : like
suffer with Job
7.
a.
(1) archaic : by the direct act of
here is himself, marred, as you see, with traitors — Shakespeare
(2) obsolete : born of or procreated by
she speaks, and 'tis such sense that my sense breeds with it — Shakespeare
b. : by means of : by the use or agency of : through
the plot is unfolded almost entirely with the camera rather than with words — Time
one of the nicest ways to say “Merry Christmas” is with a gift you've created yourself — Item
just got in with the bus — Alasdair Carmichael
c. : by the presence, addition, or contiguity of
bordered front and back with boxwood hedges — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania
an attic filled with junk
an atmosphere permeated with suspicion
d. : as a result of : in consequence of : because of
pale with anger
had woken up, about 1 o'clock, with a fellow blowing his horn — Dorothy Sayers
was rosy with breasting the hill — Maurice Hewlett
8.
a. — used as a function word to indicate manner of action
ran with effort
spoke with ease
b. — used as a function word to indicate a related or supplementary fact or circumstance
stark silence with no recognition whatsoever is the common reception — W.J.Reilly
morning sessions are largely case problems, with guest speakers in the afternoon — C.F.Craig
remains essentially unchanged, with many old houses now largely owned by summer residents — American Guide Series: New Hampshire
c. — used as a function word to indicate an emotional or mental state accompanying a specified action
with purity and holiness will I pass my life and practice my art — Hippocratic Oath
looked on with horror
d. — used as a function word to indicate a circumstance accompanying or a result attendant on a specified action
looking out over the water with his chin supported on his hands — E.G.O'Neill
told us about it with detail — W.A.White
escaped with a brief imprisonment when less affluent agitators were hanged — American Guide Series: North Carolina
attacked with great loss of life
e. — used as a function word to indicate connection or relationship in idea, state, or action
taking one day with another
with such speed, caution was impossible
9.
a. : immediately consequent upon — used before a demonstrative pronoun
with this she seizeth on his sweating palm — Shakespeare
b. : at the moment or time of
is up with the dawn
: on the occurrence of or as a result of the occurrence of
with whose death the scepter passed into other hands — Kemp Malone
with the outbreak of the Civil War he returned North — T.S.Palmer
c. — used as a function word to indicate a person or thing that serves as a point of departure or conclusion
we will begin with you
ended the lecture with this quotation
d. : at the same time as : at the time a specified action or event is performed or experienced by
men who were born just before or with the century — Manès Sperber
the captain went down with his ship
e. : in the course of
with time the amount of fossil fuels remaining approaches zero — W.P.Webb
f. : in proportion to
the pressure varies with the depth
10.
a. — used as a function word to indicate addition or supplement
his own funds, with the money he borrowed, enabled him to gain control of the business
b. : inclusive of
it costs five dollars, with the tax
c. archaic — used as a function word to invoke evil or misfortune
show your knave's visage, with a pox to you — Shakespeare
d. — used as a function word to indicate something given, received, or taken for granted
with your leave
with your permission
e. — used as a function word to introduce a refrain (as of a poem or song)
with hey, ho, the wind and the rain — Shakespeare
f. — used as a function word to indicate combination or mixture of ingredients
blend melted chocolate with the batter
heat milk with honey
g. : joined to : placed, arranged, or grouped in the same space, combination, package, or getup as
put the bill away with the others
ordered onion with his hamburger
wore a cloth cap with his sport shirt
h. — used as a function word to introduce an expression of gratitude, regard, or affection especially in a message or letter
we return your contribution with thanks
with the compliments of the author
11.
a. — used as a function word to indicate accompaniment or companionship
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief — Isa 53:3 (Authorized Version)
b. : at the home of : visiting
her mother is with her for the summer
: in attendance on : seeing
the doctor is with him now
c. : in the company of : as companion of
went to the theater with his wife
his long friendship with his rival for the position
d. : present to
this hot spell has been with us for a week
peace by with you
e. : as part of : having membership or participation in
seven hundred and one men who graduated from Harvard with the class of 1904 — F.D.Roosevelt
goes along with the crowd
has been with the firm for twenty years
12.
a. : in the care, guidance, or possession of
left the money with his mother
carried his prejudices abroad with him
the children went to the fair with their teacher
b. : having the possession, keeping, or guidance of : having, holding, or wearing
came with good news
a bride with a large fortune
a diplomat with important missions — G.C.Sellery
marched in with their uniforms of scarlet and gold — P.D.Whitney
c. : characterized or distinguished by
a man with a hot temper
a woman with a sharp tongue
a knife with a dull blade
d. : by reason of having, containing, or giving forth
it was pouring with rain — Archibald Marshall
the air is sharp with frost — Corey Ford
e. — used as a function word to indicate one that possesses a specified attribute
has a pleasing way with her
f. — used as a function word to indicate an object or source of concern or puzzlement
what's with him
what's with liberalism today — Eric Goldman & Mary Paull
13.
a. : allowing for : in spite of : notwithstanding
a really tip-top man, with all his wrongheadedness — H.J.Laski
b. : except at the cost or loss of
cannot do this with impunity
cannot attain this with honor
c. — used as a function word to indicate a qualification or proviso
accepted the offer with certain conditions
d. : except for
finds that, with one group of omissions and one important addition, they reflect that curriculum — Gilbert Highet
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- with it
- with the sun
II. ˈwith, -th adverb
: so as to have something present or added
I'll have my hamburger with
III. noun
also withe ˈwith\
( plural withes )
Etymology: alteration of width
: one of the partitions between the flues in a chimney