would

/wʊd/

verb 17
noun 1
exclamation 1
forms 1
phrases 1

verb17

A modal verb, the subjunctive of will; usually followed by a bare infinitive.
•
Used as the auxiliary of the simple conditional modality, indicating a state or action that is conditional on another.
- If I won the lottery, I would give half the money to charity.
- I'd never do anything that went against my conscience.
•
Without explicit condition, or with loose or vague implied condition, indicating a hypothetical or imagined state or action.
- I would love to come and visit.
- Look at that yummy cake! I would eat that all up!
•
Used to express what the speaker would do in another person's situation, as a means of giving a suggestion or recommendation.
- It's disgraceful the way that they've treated you. I would write and complain.
•
Used interrogatively to express a polite request; are (you) willing to …?
- Would you pass the salt, please?
- Just reach me down that file, would you.
•
Suggesting conditionality or potentiality in order to express a sense of politeness, tentativeness, indirectness, hesitancy, uncertainty, etc.
- I would ask you all to sit down.
- I would imagine that they have already left.
•
was or were going to, showing that something was still in the future at a time in the past
- On my first day at University, I met the woman who would become my wife.
- Hi! I thought I'd come over and introduce myself. My name’s Chema.
Past tense of will; usually followed by a bare infinitive.
•
Used to express the speaker's belief or assumption.
- She looked as if she would be sick.
- He's very security-conscious, so he would have remembered to lock the door.
•
Could naturally be expected to (given the situation, the tendencies of someone's character etc.).
- Sorry, officer, I wouldn't know anything about the crime, since I was nowhere near the scene.
•
Used to, did repeatedly, habitually; indicates an action that happened several times in the past (cannot describe continuous states, as in I used to live in London)
- When we were younger, we would cycle out to the beach most summer Sundays.
•
Was or were determined to; indicating someone's insistence upon doing something.
- I asked her to stay in with me, but she would go out.
(no longer used) Wanted to.
(no longer used) Wished, desired (something).
•
(no longer used) Might wish (+ verb in past subjunctive); often used in the first person (with or without that) in the sense of "if only".
- PARIS My lord, I would that Thursday were tomorrow. — 1591
•
(no longer used) Might desire; wish (something).
- What dost thou professe? What would’st thou with vs? — 1603
•
(no longer used) Used with ellipsis of the infinitive verb, or postponement to a relative clause, in various senses.
- At which time he told me, he would to London that week, and so to Oxford. — 1694

noun1

•
Something that would happen, or would be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality.
- When the golf ball is there, the whole self-interference package — the hopes, worries, and fears; the thoughts on how-to and how-not-to; the woulds, the coulds, and the shoulds — is there too. — 1996

exclamation1

(slang) Ellipsis of I would, used to denote that the speaker finds another person sexually attractive.

forms

woulds

Phrases with would

would give a Jew's eye
Would give a great deal; indicating that one desires something greatly.