wield

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
9
Words With Friends
10
Letters
5
Pronunciation
/wiːld/

Definition of wield

7 senses · 3 parts of speech · etymology included

verb

  1. To handle with skill and ease, especially a weapon or tool.
See all 7 definitions

verb

  1. To handle with skill and ease, especially a weapon or tool.
  2. To exercise (authority or influence) effectively.
    “The question isn't whether AI will reshape human society—it's whether its engineers will wield that power thoughtfully.”
  3. (obsolete)To command, rule over; to possess or own.
    “There was never kyng sauff myselff that welded evir such knyghtes.”
  4. (obsolete)To control, to guide or manage.
    “With such his chearefull speaches he doth wield / Her mind so well, that to his will she bends[…].”
  5. (obsolete)To carry out, to bring about.
    “All is weill done, God wate, weild he hys will.”

noun

  1. (countable, uncountable)Rule, command; power, control, wielding.
    “What boots it if I beat the heathen home, And fold the mountains in my wield, and fire […]”
    “[…] telling him of the treasures concealed in the cave, of the mysterious ring and tarnhelmet, possessing which he can hold the wield of the world.”
    “All wealth in my wield is, I know by my wit […]”
    ““Trust me, I will make them listen,” he hissed and for the first time, he used his wield fallaciously, because instead of giving life, he absorbed it from the tree.”

name

  1. (abbreviation, acronym, alt-of)Acronym of Western Institute for Endangered Language Documentation.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Middle English welden, from the merger of Old English wealdan (“to control, rule”) (strong class 7) and Old English wieldan (“to control, subdue”) (weak). Both verbs derive from Proto-West…

See full etymology

From Middle English welden, from the merger of Old English wealdan (“to control, rule”) (strong class 7) and Old English wieldan (“to control, subdue”) (weak). Both verbs derive from Proto-West Germanic *waldan and *waldijan, respectively; and are ultimately from Proto-Germanic *waldaną (“to rule”). The reason for the merger was that in Middle English the -d in the stem made it hard to distinguish between strong and weak forms in the past tense.

Anagrams of wield

3 plays · some not in Scrabble

Best play wiled 9 points

Hooks

2 extensions · 2 back

A single letter you can add to wield to make another valid word.

Find your best play with wield

See every word you can make from a set of letters that includes wield, or browse word lists you can mine for high-scoring plays.