weed
gb/wˈid/ us/wˈid/
A2
English
~ 8900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
unwanted wild plant
A plant that grows in a place where people do not want it, for example in a garden or in a field of crops.
Usage pattern:
pull [weeds] from [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the slang meaning for marijuana. In gardening or farming contexts, "weed" almost always means an unwanted plant, not a drug.
Synonyms
unwanted plant (neutral descriptive phrase that clearly states the idea but is less compact and less common as a set term.)
Antonyms
cultivated plant (refers to plants that people choose and care for, which are the opposite of weeds that grow without being wanted.)
Collocations
pull weeds
|remove weeds
|garden weeds
|weed problem
|weed killer
|weed control
Themes
nature
|home
|daily life
|agriculture
|daily_life
Examples
- I spent the afternoon pulling weeds from the flower beds.
- If you don't remove the weeds, they'll take over the lawn.
- The vegetable patch is full of weeds after all that rain.
- She sprayed weed killer along the driveway to stop the weeds coming back.
- Tall weeds were growing between the cracks in the pavement.
Learner examples
- There are many weeds in our garden.
- He pulls the weeds from the grass every weekend.
- We used a tool to cut the weeds.
- The farmer wants a clean field with no weeds.
- Rain helps the weeds grow very fast.
unknown
slang
B2
entity
2
marijuana, cannabis (slang)
Marijuana; a drug made from the cannabis plant that people often smoke to feel relaxed or high.
Usage pattern:
smoke [weed] with [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may think "weed" always refers to this drug meaning. In many contexts, especially gardening, "weed" only means an unwanted plant. Also, this sense is informal slang and should be avoided in formal writing.
Synonyms
marijuana (the most common neutral term; "weed" is more informal and slangy.)
Antonyms
sobriety (describes the state of not using alcohol or drugs; often seen as the opposite of using weed or other substances.)
Collocations
smoke weed
|buy weed
|sell weed
|weed dealer
|weed smoker
|legal weed
Themes
drugs
|youth
|law
|health
|daily_life
Examples
- He got arrested for carrying a small amount of weed.
- They went behind the building to smoke some weed.
- In some states, it's now legal to buy weed from licensed shops.
- She said she used weed to help her relax after work.
- The smell of weed drifted in from the balcony next door.
Learner examples
- They were smoking weed in the park at night.
- In this country it is illegal to sell weed.
- Some people think weed is not very dangerous, but others disagree.
- The police found weed in his car.
- He stopped using weed because it made him anxious.
Verb
B1
action
3
remove weeds from ground
To take weeds out of the ground in a garden, field, or other place so that good plants can grow well.
Usage pattern:
weed [a garden/area]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"take out the weeds the garden"* instead of "weed the garden". Use "weed" as a verb with an object, for example: "weed the garden", "weed the lawn".
Synonyms
remove weeds (a clear descriptive phrase; "weed" as a verb is shorter and more natural in gardening contexts.)
Antonyms
plant ("plant" is the opposite gardening action: putting plants into the ground instead of taking them out.)
Collocations
weed the garden
|weed the flower beds
|weed the vegetable patch
|time to weed
|weed by hand
|weed regularly
Themes
nature
|home
|daily life
|agriculture
|daily_life
Examples
- I need to weed the garden before the guests arrive.
- She spent the morning weeding the paths between the raised beds.
- We try to weed the vegetable patch every week during the summer.
- He carefully weeded around the young tomato plants.
- If you don't weed regularly, the garden soon looks messy.
Learner examples
- Today I will weed the garden.
- She weeds the flowers every Saturday.
- We must weed this area before we plant new trees.
- He is weeding the small plants by hand.
- They did not weed the field, so many weeds grew.
Noun
informal
C1
entity
4
weak or timid person (insult)
A person who seems weak, thin, or not brave, used as a rude or unkind word.
Usage pattern:
call [someone] a weed
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is positive because plants grow fast like "a weed". In fact, calling someone a "weed" is negative and usually unkind.
Synonyms
wimp (a very common informal insult for a weak or cowardly person; "weed" sounds slightly more old-fashioned or British and often suggests being thin as well.)
Antonyms
tough guy (an informal term for someone strong or confident, the opposite of a weak, unimpressive "weed".)
Collocations
a little weed
|a skinny weed
|a pathetic weed
|a miserable weed
Themes
people
|character
|insults
|emotions
|relationships
Examples
- He used to be a skinny little weed at school, but now he's really fit.
- Don't be such a weed—stand up for yourself.
- She thought he was a bit of a weed and not her type at all.
- The coach called him a weed for avoiding every tackle.
- In those days I was a nervous weed who hated speaking in public.
Learner examples
- His brother calls him a weed because he is very thin.
- She thinks he is a weed and not very brave.
- When I was a child, I was a little weed in my class.
- He felt like a weed next to all the strong players.
- They laughed at him and called him a weed.
Noun
B2
entity
5
plant growing in water
A plant that grows in water, especially in the sea or in a lake or river.
Usage pattern:
[weed] grows in [water/place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with the more common gardening sense or think only "seaweed" is correct. In many descriptions of rivers, canals, or ponds, "weed" is natural and does not mean marijuana.
Synonyms
seaweed (the usual word for plants growing in the sea; "weed" alone is broader and can also refer to plants in fresh water or in combinations like "pond weed".)
Antonyms
land plant (refers to plants that grow on dry ground, not in water.)
Collocations
pond weed
|river weed
|floating weed
|sea weed (nonstandard spacing)
|weed-choked lake
Themes
nature
|water
|environment
Examples
- Thick green weed was drifting just below the surface of the pond.
- They had to clear the weed from the canal so boats could pass.
- Fish were hiding in the long strands of weed.
- The beach was covered in rotting weed after the storm.
- Divers reported heavy weed growth near the shore.
Learner examples
- There is a lot of weed in the pond.
- The boat could not move because weed blocked the river.
- Fish like to hide in the weed under the water.
- After the storm, weed washed up on the beach.
- They removed the weed from the small lake.
Noun
literary
C2
entity
6
mourning clothes (usually plural)
Old or literary word for special dark clothes that people, especially widows, wear to show they are in mourning, usually said as "weeds".
Usage pattern:
wear [widow's] weeds
Common mistake:
Learners may think this is related to plants or to marijuana. In this old, literary sense, "weeds" means clothes for mourning and almost always appears in the phrase "widow's weeds".
Synonyms
mourning clothes (a modern neutral phrase; "weeds" is literary and strongly associated with widows in older writing.)
Antonyms
bright clothes (colourful, cheerful clothing contrasts with the dark mourning "weeds" worn after a death.)
Collocations
widow's weeds
|in her weeds
|put on her weeds
|cast off her weeds
Themes
clothing
|death
|culture
|relationships
Examples
- She appeared at the funeral in full widow's weeds.
- In her black weeds, she looked years older than before.
- The novel opens with the heroine still in her weeds after her husband's death.
- After a year she put aside her weeds and began to wear colour again.
- The portrait shows her in heavy weeds and a dark veil.
Learner examples
- In old stories, widows often wear weeds.
- She is still in her weeds after her husband died.
- The painting shows a woman in black weeds.
- After one year, she took off her weeds and wore blue again.
- The writer describes the old woman in widow's weeds.
Grammar
Dictionary form
weed
IPA
GB/wˈid/
US/wˈid/
Syllables & stress
weed (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (weed)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: weed
- Plural: weed, weeds
Verb
- Base: weed
- 3rd Person Singular: weeds
- Present Participle: weeding
- Past: weeded
Word family
Forms
weeds
noun
weeding
verb
weeded
verb
Related words
weedy
adjective
weedkiller
noun
Advanced or less common
weeder
noun
Expressions
in the weeds
1/ˈɪn ðə wˈidz/
idiom
informal
overwhelmed and far behind
To be very busy and behind with your work, with more problems or tasks than you can handle, especially in restaurants or busy jobs.
Examples
- Sorry I didn't reply—I was really in the weeds at work yesterday.
- The servers were in the weeds as soon as the dinner rush started.
- We're a bit in the weeds on this project, but we'll catch up.
smoke weed
1/smˈoʊk wˈid/
fixed phrase
slang
use marijuana by smoking it
To smoke marijuana to feel relaxed or high.
Examples
- They used to smoke weed together after class.
- He says he doesn't smoke weed anymore because it makes him paranoid.
- Some people only smoke weed on weekends to relax.
weed control
1/wˈid kəntɹˈoʊl/
fixed phrase
technical
methods to reduce weed growth
Ways to stop or slow the growth of weeds, for example by using chemicals, tools, or ground covers.
Examples
- Good weed control is essential for healthy crops.
- The farmer invested in better weed control to increase his yields.
- Mulch can be an effective form of weed control in home gardens.
weed eater
1/wˈid ˈitɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
powered grass and weed trimmer
Another informal name for a garden machine with a spinning string that cuts grass and weeds, like a weed whacker.
Examples
- He grabbed the weed eater to clean up the yard edges.
- The battery on the weed eater died halfway through the job.
- She prefers a light weed eater because it's easier to carry.
weed killer
1/wˈid kˈɪlɚ/
fixed phrase
chemical that kills weeds
A chemical that you put on the ground or on plants to kill weeds.
Examples
- He sprayed weed killer along the fence line.
- Make sure you buy a lawn-safe weed killer so you don't damage the grass.
- Some gardeners prefer not to use weed killer for environmental reasons.
weed out
1/wˈid ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
remove unwanted members from a group
To remove people or things that are not good, not needed, or not wanted from a larger group.
Examples
- The company is trying to weed out underperforming staff.
- These tests help us weed out the weakest candidates.
- Regular audits are used to weed out corruption in the system.
weed the garden
1/wˈid ðə ɡˈɑɹdən/
fixed phrase
remove weeds from a garden
To take weeds out of a garden so that flowers or vegetables can grow well.
Examples
- I usually weed the garden on Sunday mornings.
- She asked the kids to weed the garden before they played video games.
- If we don't weed the garden soon, the vegetables will struggle.
weed whacker
1/wˈid wˈækɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
powered tool for cutting weeds
A garden machine with a long handle and a fast-spinning string that cuts grass and weeds, usually used around edges and fences.
Examples
- He trimmed the long grass with a weed whacker.
- The noise from the weed whacker woke up the whole street.
- You'll need a weed whacker to clean up around those fence posts.
widow's weeds
1/wˈɪdoʊz wˈidz/
fixed phrase
literary
a widow's mourning clothes
Old or literary phrase for the black clothes a woman wears after her husband dies to show she is in mourning.
Examples
- She sat by the window in her widow's weeds, staring at the street below.
- The painting shows the queen in heavy widow's weeds.
- After a year she laid aside her widow's weeds and travelled abroad.