fordid
Definition
- Verb (archaic, transitive):
- To destroy, ruin, or lay waste: "fordid" means to bring to ruin or complete destruction, often by violent means.
- To kill or put to death: In older usage, it specifically referred to the act of killing or slaying.
Usage Examples
To destroy:
- The invading army fordid the entire village, leaving nothing but ashes. (The army completely destroyed the village.)
- A great storm fordid the crops, causing famine across the land. (The storm ruined the harvest.)
To kill:
- The knight fordid his enemy with a single blow of his sword. (The knight killed his opponent.)
- In the legend, the dragon fordid all who dared approach its lair. (The dragon killed all intruders.)
Advanced Usage
"to be fordone": to be exhausted, worn out, or destroyed (the past participle form).
- After the long battle, the soldiers were fordone with fatigue. (They were completely exhausted.)
"fordid with grief": to be overwhelmed or destroyed by sorrow.
- She was fordid with grief after the loss of her child. (She was utterly devastated by sorrow.)
Variants and Related Words
- Fordo (alternative spelling): same meaning, used in Middle English.
- Fordon (adj, archaic): destroyed, ruined, or exhausted.
- The fordon knight lay motionless on the field. (The destroyed knight lay still.)
Synonyms
- Destroy: to cause something to cease to exist.
- Ruin: to reduce to a state of decay or collapse.
- Slay: to kill in a violent manner.
- Waste: to lay waste or devastate.
Related Idioms
- "to fordo oneself": to commit suicide or bring about one's own ruin.
- In despair, he fordid himself by jumping from the cliff. (He killed himself.)
Historical Notes
- This word is largely obsolete in modern English, surviving mostly in archaic, poetic, or historical texts (e.g., in the works of Shakespeare or Edmund Spenser). It is derived from Old English , combining (intensifier) + (to do).