had
had
Pronunciation
had /hæd/
/hæd/ - The word "had" is a single syllable.
/h/ - unvoiced glottal fricative
/æ/ - near-open front unrounded vowel
/d/ - voiced alveolar plosive
Word Form Variations
"Had" is primarily a past tense and past participle form of the verb "to have." As such, its variations are tied to the conjugations of "have."
Infinitive: to have
Present Tense: have, has (third-person singular)
Past Tense: had
Past Participle: had
Present Participle/Gerund: having
Third-person singular simple present: has
"Had" does not have typical singular/plural forms like a noun, nor comparative/superlative forms like an adjective or adverb.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
1. (Past Tense of "have") To possess, own, or hold something at a previous time.
Synonyms: owned, possessed, held, acquired
Antonyms: lacked, wanted, forfeited, relinquished
2. (Past Tense of "have") To experience, undergo, or be affected by something in the past.
Synonyms: experienced, underwent, encountered, suffered, enjoyed
Antonyms: avoided, missed, escaped, circumvented
3. (Past Tense of "have") To engage in an action or activity in the past.
Synonyms: undertook, performed, conducted, participated in
Antonyms: abstained from, refrained from, avoided
4. (Past Participle of "have," used with an auxiliary verb like "had" in the past perfect tense) Indicating an action completed before another past action.
Synonyms: (Contextual, depends on the main verb)
Antonyms: (Contextual, depends on the main verb)
5. (Past Tense of "have") To be the recipient of something; to receive.
Synonyms: received, got, obtained
Antonyms: gave, offered, provided
6. (Past Tense of "have," often used informally) To consume food or drink.
Synonyms: ate, drank, consumed, ingested
Antonyms: fasted, abstained, eschewed
7. (Past Tense of "have," often used with an infinitive) To be obliged or compelled to do something.
Synonyms: was required to, was forced to, needed to
Antonyms: was allowed to, was permitted to, chose not to
Examples of Use
Books:
"He had a good heart, even if his methods were sometimes questionable." (J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
"She had known then, with a certainty that chilled her to the bone, that her life would never be the same." (Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing)
Newspapers:
"The city council had approved the new zoning plan just last week, sparking protests from local residents." ("City Council Approves Controversial Zoning Plan," The Daily Herald)
"Investigators said they had found no evidence of foul play in the mysterious disappearance." ("Police Continue Search for Missing Hiker," The Standard)
Online Publications:
"Before the recent surge, many analysts had predicted a more modest growth in the tech sector." ("Tech Stocks Defy Expectations with Unprecedented Surge," TechCrunch)
"Fans who had waited hours in line were disappointed when the concert was unexpectedly canceled." ("Concert Cancellation Leaves Fans Fuming," Pitchfork.com)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film (Dialogue): "I had a farm in Africa." (Out of Africa, 1985)
Television Show (Dialogue): "We had a deal, Walter! A deal!" (Breaking Bad, Season 5, Episode 10)
Song Lyrics: "I had a dream, a dream of you, baby." (ABBA, "I Had a Dream")
Video Game (In-game text/dialogue): "The ancient prophecy had warned of this very moment." (The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, 2023)
Podcast (Transcript): "So, the guest speaker had really insightful points about the future of AI." ("Tech Talk Today Podcast," Episode 123, June 27, 2025)
General Public Discourse (Examples of common usage):
"I had a great time at your party last night!" (Spoken conversation)
"He had to leave early because of an emergency." (Spoken conversation)
"We had dinner at that new Italian place, and it was delicious." (Text message)
"If I had known, I would have told you." (Spoken conversation)
"The dog had its vaccination shots yesterday." (Casual conversation)
10 Famous Quotes Using Had
"I had a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'" (Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have a Dream" speech, 1963)
"If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter." (Often attributed to Blaise Pascal, but various similar sentiments exist)
"The only thing we had to fear was fear itself." (Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address, 1933)
"We had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859)
"I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." (Psalm 84:10, King James Version)
"All we had to do was follow the damn train, CJ!" (Big Smoke, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, 2004)
"I had a good mind, but I lost it years ago." (Groucho Marx, various performances)
"Man never had any other desire but to be happy." (Blaise Pascal, Pensées, 1669)
"We had no choice but to be patient and hope for the best." (Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, 1994)
"I had a lot of luck when I was young." (Mark Twain, often attributed)
Etymology
The word "had" comes from a very old Germanic word. To understand it, think about its connection to "have."
Basically, "had" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "to have."
Its journey goes something like this:
Old English: The earliest form of the word was "hæfde" (for the past tense, like "I had") and "ġehæfd" (for the past participle, like "I had been"). The root word for "have" in Old English was "habban," meaning "to own, possess, experience, or be subject to."
Middle English: This evolved into "hadde" (preterite or past tense) and "yhad" (past participle).
Proto-Germanic: Even further back, the word stems from a Proto-Germanic root, "*habjaną," which also meant "to have" or "to grasp." This shows that the core meaning of possession or holding something has been around for a very long time.
Proto-Indo-European (PIE): The ultimate ancestor is believed to be the PIE root "*kap-," which meant "to grasp."
First Known Use and Meaning:
The word "had" (in its Old English forms) was first used before 1150 AD. Its initial meanings were directly tied to "to have":
Possession/Ownership: The most fundamental meaning was to show that someone owned or possessed something in the past. For example, similar to saying "He owned a house," Old English speakers would have used a form of "habban" or "hæfde."
Experience: It also meant to experience or undergo something. So, "He had a good time" has roots in this ancient usage.
Over time, "had" also started to be used as a "helping" or "auxiliary" verb to form specific tenses, especially the "past perfect" tense (like "I had eaten before you arrived"), which indicates an action completed before another past action. This auxiliary use became common in late Old English and has continued to evolve.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Had
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "had":
Had better: Ought to; would be advisable to. (e.g., "You had better finish your work before you leave.")
Had it coming: Deserved something negative that happened to them. (e.g., "After all his lies, he had it coming when he got fired.")
Had a field day: To have a great time, or to take advantage of a situation. (e.g., "The tabloids had a field day with the celebrity scandal.")
Had a good run: To have experienced a period of success or enjoyment that has now ended. (e.g., "That old car had a good run, but it's time for a new one.")
Had enough: To be at the limit of one's patience or endurance. (e.g., "I've had enough of your complaining.")
Had a hand in (something): To be involved in or partly responsible for something. (e.g., "She suspects her brother had a hand in the prank.")
Had a change of heart: To change one's mind or opinion. (e.g., "He was going to sell his house, but he had a change of heart.")
Had a bone to pick with someone: To have a grievance to discuss with someone. (e.g., "I had a bone to pick with him about the missing tools.")
Had a blast: To have had a very enjoyable time. (e.g., "We had a blast at the concert last night.")
Had one too many: To have drunk too much alcohol. (e.g., "He seemed a bit unsteady; I think he had one too many.")
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of had from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
