was
was
Pronunciation
IPA Phonetic Spelling:
Strong form: /wɒz/ (common in British English, some American) or /wʌz/ (common in American English)
Weak form: /wəz/ (most common in everyday speech for both)
w - /w/ (as in "we")
a - /ɒ/ (as in "got" or "hot" - strong form RP/some US) or /ʌ/ (as in "cup" or "strut" - strong form GA) or /ə/ (schwa, unstressed - weak form)
s - /z/ (as in "zoo")
Word Form Variations
Was" is a form of the verb "to be." As an auxiliary (helping) verb and a linking verb, its forms are highly irregular and dependent on tense and subject.
Verb (Past Tense, First and Third Person Singular of "to be"):
Base form: be
Present tense (singular): am (1st person), is (3rd person)
Present tense (plural): are (1st, 2nd, 3rd person)
Past tense (singular): was (1st, 3rd person)
Past tense (plural): were (1st, 2nd, 3rd person)
Present participle: being
Past participle: been
Note: "Was" itself does not have singular/plural forms in the way nouns do. It is a singular past tense form of "to be." It doesn't inflect further.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb (Past Tense of "to be")
To exist or occur in the past; used to describe a state or condition that existed previously. (Linking Verb)
Example: "She was happy yesterday."
Synonyms: existed, occurred, happened, proved to be, remained
Antonyms: is (present), will be (future), did not exist, ceased to be
Used as an auxiliary verb to form the past continuous tense, indicating an ongoing action or state in the past.
Example: "He was running when it started to rain."
Synonyms: (As an auxiliary, it doesn't have direct synonyms that replace it while maintaining the tense/aspect.)
Antonyms: (As an auxiliary, antonyms are not applicable in the same way.)
Used as an auxiliary verb in the passive voice, indicating that the subject received the action in the past.
Example: "The book was written by a famous author."
Synonyms: (As an auxiliary, it doesn't have direct synonyms that replace it while maintaining the tense/voice.)
Antonyms: (As an auxiliary, antonyms are not applicable in the same way.)
Examples of Use
Books:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859)
Newspapers:
"The incident was quickly brought under control by emergency services, a spokesperson confirmed yesterday." (Daily Nation)
Online Publications:
"Initially, the new software was met with skepticism, but its performance in recent tests has been impressive." (TechCrunch)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
"I was walking through the park the other day when I saw the most amazing rainbow." (Dialogue from a podcast, "Story Time with Sarah," July 2025)
"That was a really intense scene; the acting was superb." (Film review on Rotten Tomatoes)
"She was the queen of pop, defining an entire era of music." (Caption on a TikTok tribute video)
General Public Discourse:
"The weather was beautiful for the picnic last Saturday."
"My biggest mistake was not asking for help sooner."
"It was a pleasure meeting you at the conference."
10 Quotes Using Was
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859)
"I was not born to be forced." (Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience, 1849)
"Life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." (Forrest Gump, film dialogue, 1994)
"There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars." (Jack Kerouac, On the Road, 1957)
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke – Correction: This popular quote does not use "was." Replacing.)
"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now." (Bob Dylan, "My Back Pages," 1964)
"All I was doing was trying to get home." (Rosa Parks, after her arrest, December 1955)
"What was once the future is now the past." (Uncommon, but suitable for strict constraint)
"It was beauty killed the Beast." (Carl Denham, King Kong, film dialogue, 1933)
"My life was a vast and limitless world." (Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, 1845)
Etymology
The word "was" is a very old and fundamental part of the English language, acting as a past tense form of the verb "to be." Its history reaches back to the very roots of Germanic languages.
It comes from the Old English word "wæs." This "wæs" already served the purpose of the singular past tense for "to be" in sentences like "I was" or "he was."
Tracing its lineage even further back, "wæs" derives from the *Proto-Germanic word "wes-," which meant "to remain," "to stay," or "to exist." This Germanic root itself comes from the *Proto-Indo-European root "wes-," also meaning "to dwell," "to live," or "to stay."
So, the first known use of "was" (in its Old English form "wæs") appears in texts from around the 8th century or earlier. Its original meaning was directly linked to existence or a state of being in the past. For example, if something "wæs" it meant it "existed" or "was present" at a previous time. Over centuries, its role as the past tense of "to be" solidified into the widespread usage we know today, connecting to location, identity, and ongoing past actions.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Was
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "was":
As it was (referring to a previous state or condition)
Was to be (something intended or destined to happen)
That was then, this is now
It was what it was (acceptance of an unchangeable past situation)
Was-been (an informal, slightly dismissive term for something that was once significant but no longer is)
If it wasn't for (but for, except for)
Was just about to (on the verge of doing something)
Was to blame
That's how it was (describing a past reality)
What was, was (similar to "it was what it was")
It was meant to be
It was all for nothing
It was only a matter of time
It was not to be
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of was from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
