was

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Also seen as: wus

Sense 1

Meaning · English

first-person singular simple past indicative of be.

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

I was castigated and scorned.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

third-person singular simple past indicative of be.

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

Used in phrases with existential there when the semantic subject is (usually third-person) plural.

Register: colloquial

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “was” mean?

first-person singular simple past indicative of be.

Is “was” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.