was (A1)

verb

Pronunciation: wəz

Definition

The past tense of 'be', used to describe a state or action that happened before now.

Examples

• She was happy to see her friend.

• The book was on the table.

• They were tired after the long walk.

How to Use was

was born (collocation)

To have come into existence by birth. — "He was born in 1990."

was about to (collocation)

To be very close to doing or experiencing something. — "She was about to leave when the phone rang."

was made of (collocation)

To be constructed from a particular material. — "The statue was made of bronze."

Synonyms of was

Words with a similar meaning to was:

• existed
• occurred
• remained

Antonyms of was

Words with the opposite meaning to was:

• is
• are
• were

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