marry
gb/mˈɛɹi/ us/mˈɛɹi/
A2
English
~ 1200
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
To become the husband or wife of someone
To become the husband or wife of someone in a wedding.
Usage pattern:
to marry [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'marry' with 'get married'. 'Marry' takes a direct object ('marry someone'), while 'get married' does not ('get married to someone').
Synonyms
wed (A slightly more formal or literary synonym, often used in official contexts or traditional writing.)
Antonyms
divorce (The legal ending of a marriage, making it the opposite of marrying.)
Collocations
marry young
|marry for love
|marry into a family
|marry someone off
|get married
Themes
relationships
|family
|daily life
|law
|religion
Examples
- They decided to marry after three years of dating.
- She married her high school sweetheart.
- He plans to marry next summer.
- Many couples choose to marry in the spring.
- They married quietly at the town hall.
Learner examples
- I want to marry her.
- They will marry in June.
- My parents married in 1990.
- She does not want to marry now.
Verb
B1
action
2
To officiate at a wedding
To lead the wedding ceremony for two people.
Usage pattern:
to marry [two people]
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse this with 'get married'. Here, 'marry' means to perform the ceremony, not to become married yourself.
Synonyms
officiate (A more general term for conducting any official ceremony, not just weddings.)
Collocations
marry a couple
|priest marries them
Themes
relationships
|ceremony
|law
|religion
Examples
- The priest married them in the village church.
- Only certain officials can legally marry people.
- She was married by her uncle, who is a judge.
Learner examples
- The priest will marry them.
- A judge can marry two people.
- My friend was married by a minister.
Verb
B2
action
3
To join or blend well together
To put things together so they look or work well.
Usage pattern:
to marry [something] with [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly think this use of 'marry' is about relationships. In this sense, it is metaphorical for combining things well.
Synonyms
blend (Focuses on mixing things smoothly into one another, often used for food or design.)
Antonyms
clash (Describes things that do not go well together.)
Collocations
marry flavors
|marry colors
|marry ideas
Themes
arts
|cooking
|design
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The chef married bold flavors with fresh herbs.
- Her dress marries elegance with comfort.
- The design marries traditional and modern elements.
Learner examples
- The cook married sweet and sour tastes.
- This room marries old and new styles.
- The artist married red with gold.
interjection
archaic
C2
action
4
Old exclamation of surprise or emphasis
An old word used to show surprise or strong feeling.
Synonyms
indeed (A general exclamation of emphasis, though modern and neutral.)
Themes
communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Marry, I had never thought of that!
- Marry, that is a bold plan.
Learner examples
- Marry, I did not know that!
Grammar
Dictionary form
marry
IPA
GB/mˈɛɹi/
US/mˈɛɹi/
Syllables & stress
marry (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (marry)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: marry
- 3rd Person Singular: marries
- Present Participle: marrying
- Past: married
Word family
Expressions
marry into money
1/mˈɛɹi ˈɪntu mˈʌni/
idiom
To marry a rich person to gain wealth
To become rich by marrying someone who has a lot of money.
Examples
- She married into money when she wed a famous businessman.
- He doesn’t need to work because he married into money.
marry off
1/mˈɛɹi ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
Arrange for someone to get married
To arrange for your child or relative to get married.
Examples
- They tried to marry off their daughter to a wealthy man.
- Her parents are eager to marry her off quickly.
get married
1/ɡˈɛt mˈɛɹid/
fixed phrase
To enter into marriage
To become someone's husband or wife through a legal ceremony.
Examples
- They plan to get married next spring.
- They got married last summer in Italy.
- My sister got married last year.
- I’m getting married next year.