OpenSynonym

had

/hæd/

VERB

1. Possessing or owning something

To have possessed, owned, or held something as one's property, belonging, or resource in the past.

1.1. Ownership and possession

Used to indicate that someone owned, possessed, or retained something, such as property, possessions, money, or personal belongings.

Synonyms

  • owned
  • possessed
  • held
  • kept
  • retained
  • owned outright

Antonyms

Examples

  • She had a beautiful house overlooking the ocean.
  • He had several valuable antiques in his collection.

Related Words

  • ownership
  • possession
  • property
  • belongings
  • assets
  • estate
  • property rights

1.2. Holding something available

Used to describe having something at one's disposal, keeping something accessible, or maintaining control over a resource or opportunity.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • released
  • relinquished
  • surrendered
  • gave up

Examples

  • The company had sufficient resources to complete the project.
  • She had a reserved seat near the front of the auditorium.

Related Words

1.3. Having someone in a relationship

Used to indicate that someone had another person in a particular relationship or social connection, such as a family member, friend, or partner.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • She had three children and a loving husband.
  • He had many close friends who supported him throughout his career.

Related Words

VERB

2. Consuming or participating in something

To have consumed food or drink, or taken part in an activity, event, or experience in the past.

2.1. Food and drink consumption

Used to describe eating or drinking something, including meals, beverages, or particular food items.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • She had a delicious breakfast before leaving for work.
  • He had never tasted such delicious food before.

Related Words

2.2. Activities and social events

Used when someone participated in or undertook an activity, gathering, meeting, celebration, or social occasion.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • We had a wonderful time at the family reunion.
  • She had an important meeting with the management team.

Related Words

VERB

3. Experiencing or undergoing something

To have experienced, encountered, or gone through a particular event, condition, feeling, or situation in the past.

3.1. Personal experiences and events

Used to describe something that happened to someone or an event that they personally experienced or encountered.

Synonyms

Examples

  • She had an unforgettable experience during her trip abroad.
  • The team had several unexpected challenges during the project.

Related Words

3.2. Feelings and emotional experiences

Used to describe feelings, emotions, sensations, or psychological states that someone experienced in the past.

Synonyms

Examples

  • She had mixed feelings about moving to another country.
  • He had a strange sensation after taking the medication.

Related Words

3.3. Illnesses and physical conditions

Used to indicate that someone experienced an illness, medical condition, physical symptom, or health problem.

Synonyms

Examples

  • She had a severe headache throughout the afternoon.
  • He had suffered from recurring back pain for several years.

Related Words

VERB

4. Forming the past perfect tense

Used as the past-tense form of the auxiliary verb have to construct the past perfect tense, expressing an action or state completed before another past event or reference time.

4.1. Completed actions before another past event

Used before a past participle to indicate that an action was already completed before another event or point in the past.

Synonyms

  • had previously
  • had already
  • had earlier

Examples

  • She had finished her homework before her friends arrived.
  • The team had successfully completed the mission before the deadline.
  • They had already left when we reached the station.

Related Words

  • past perfect
  • past participle
  • auxiliary verb
  • tense
  • completion
  • sequence of events
  • grammar

4.2. Earlier experiences and previous events

Used in perfect constructions to refer to experiences, events, or situations that occurred before a particular moment in the past.

Synonyms

  • had experienced
  • had undergone
  • had encountered

Examples

  • He had never visited London before that trip.
  • She had already met the director before joining the company.

Related Words

  • previous experience
  • past event
  • prior occurrence
  • timeline
  • sequence
  • historical event

VERB

5. Giving birth to offspring

To have produced or delivered a baby or offspring through childbirth.

5.1. Childbirth and reproduction

Used to describe a woman giving birth to a child or an animal producing offspring.

Synonyms

Examples

  • She had a healthy baby girl early this morning.
  • The mare had two foals during her lifetime.

Related Words

VERB

6. Engaging in sexual relations

To engage in sexual intercourse with another person or to have someone as a sexual partner.

6.1. Sexual relationships

Used informally to describe having sexual intercourse with another person.

Synonyms

  • slept with
  • had sex with
  • made love to
  • was intimate with

Examples

  • He had a relationship with someone he met while traveling.
  • They had been intimate before deciding to become a couple.

Related Words

VERB

7. Accepting someone as a romantic partner

To accept or recognize someone as a romantic partner, lover, or person with whom one maintains a relationship.

7.1. Romantic relationships and partnerships

Used to describe accepting someone as a romantic partner or maintaining a romantic relationship with another person.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • rejected
  • spurned
  • turned down

Examples

  • She had him as her partner for several years.
  • He had finally accepted her as the person he wanted to spend his life with.

Related Words

VERB

8. Causing someone to perform an action

To cause or persuade someone to do something through a command, request, invitation, or arrangement.

8.1. Commands and instructions

Used when someone makes another person perform an action by giving instructions, issuing an order, or exercising authority.

Synonyms

  • commanded
  • ordered
  • directed
  • instructed
  • commissioned

Antonyms

  • allowed
  • permitted
  • forbade
  • prohibited

Examples

  • The manager had the employees complete the report before leaving.
  • She had her assistant organize the documents for the meeting.

Related Words

8.2. Arrangements and assistance

Used when someone arranges, requests, or persuades another person to carry out a task or provide a service.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • discouraged
  • dissuaded
  • prevented

Examples

  • She had the mechanic repair her car before the journey.
  • We had a technician install the new equipment.

Related Words

VERB

9. Causing someone or something to be in a state

To cause a person, object, or situation to assume a particular condition, state, or quality.

9.1. Emotional and physical states

Used with an adjective or adjective phrase to describe causing someone to experience a particular emotional or physical condition.

Synonyms

Examples

  • The unexpected news had everyone worried.
  • The long journey had him completely exhausted.

Related Words

VERB

10. Being affected by an event

To be affected by or experience an action or occurrence that happens to someone or something.

10.1. Incidents and unexpected events

Used to describe an event or action that affects someone, often expressed through a construction such as having something happen to someone.

Synonyms

Examples

  • She had her wallet stolen while traveling abroad.
  • He had his car damaged during the storm.

Related Words

VERB

11. Depicting someone or something in a particular way

To present, portray, or describe someone or something as possessing a particular characteristic, quality, or identity.

11.1. Descriptions and representations

Used to describe how a person, object, or character is represented as having a particular appearance, quality, or condition.

Synonyms

  • portrayed
  • depicted
  • represented
  • described
  • characterized

Examples

  • The film had the main character portrayed as a courageous leader.
  • The painting had the landscape depicted in vivid colors.

Related Words

  • representation
  • portrayal
  • description
  • characterization
  • illustration
  • depiction

VERB

12. Defeating or overpowering someone

To defeat, overpower, or gain an advantage over another person, particularly in a fight or physical confrontation.

12.1. Physical fights and confrontations

Used informally to describe defeating someone in a physical fight or overcoming them through superior strength or fighting ability.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • lost to
  • surrendered to
  • yielded to

Examples

  • The champion had his opponent in the final round.
  • The experienced fighter had defeated several challengers.

Related Words

VERB

13. Understanding or comprehending something

To understand, recognize, or become aware of information, an idea, or a situation.

13.1. Knowledge and comprehension

Used to indicate that someone understood, grasped, or recognized the meaning or significance of something.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • misunderstood
  • misinterpreted
  • misconceived

Examples

  • She had a clear understanding of the complicated instructions.
  • He had finally grasped the meaning of the difficult passage.

Related Words

VERB

14. Tricking or deceiving someone

To deceive, mislead, or manipulate someone into believing something false or acting against their own interests.

14.1. Fraud and deception

Used informally when someone has been fooled, cheated, or deceived through dishonesty, manipulation, or a misleading trick.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • The dishonest salesman had several customers fooled with his false promises.
  • She realized that the company had deceived her about the contract.
  • He had been tricked into paying for a product that never arrived.

Related Words

VERB

15. Allowing or tolerating something

To accept, permit, or tolerate an action, behavior, or situation without preventing or objecting to it.

15.1. Permission and acceptance

Used to describe allowing an action to happen or accepting something that might otherwise be considered undesirable or unacceptable.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • prohibited
  • forbade
  • banned
  • disallowed
  • prevented
  • forbidden

Examples

  • The teacher had no disruptive behavior in her classroom.
  • The organization had previously tolerated such practices.

Related Words

  • permission
  • tolerance
  • acceptance
  • approval
  • authorization
  • consent
  • allowance

VERB

16. Rejecting or refusing to believe something

To refuse to accept something as true, credible, or convincing, particularly when responding to a claim, explanation, or suggestion.

16.1. Belief and credibility

Used in negative expressions to indicate that someone did not believe, accept, or fall for a particular statement, excuse, or deception.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples

  • I had none of his excuses because they were clearly dishonest.
  • She had no belief in the unrealistic promises made by the salesman.

Related Words

VERB

17. Hosting or receiving guests

To receive, accommodate, or provide hospitality to someone in one's home or another place.

17.1. Hospitality and accommodation

Used to describe welcoming someone as a guest, providing accommodation, or hosting visitors for a period of time.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • turned away
  • rejected
  • refused
  • excluded

Examples

  • They had several international guests staying at their home.
  • The family had visitors from abroad during the holiday.

Related Words

VERB

18. Obtaining a measurement or result

To obtain or produce a particular reading, measurement, calculation, or result from an instrument, test, or process.

18.1. Measurements and calculations

Used when an instrument, test, or mathematical calculation produces a particular value, reading, or outcome.

Synonyms

Examples

  • The experiment had a result of 95 percent accuracy.
  • The instrument had a reading of 120 degrees.

Related Words

VERB

19. Considering a case or legal proceeding

To receive and consider a completed court case or legal proceeding for deliberation and decision, particularly in reference to a jury.

19.1. Jury deliberations and legal proceedings

Used in legal contexts to describe a jury beginning to examine the evidence and deliberate on a case after the presentation of arguments and testimony.

Synonyms

Examples

  • The jury had the case for several hours before reaching a verdict.
  • The jurors had carefully considered all the evidence presented during the trial.

Related Words

VERB

20. Speaking or knowing a language

To be able to speak or understand a particular language, an obsolete or regionally restricted usage.

20.1. Language ability and communication

Used in an obsolete or restricted regional sense to indicate the ability to speak or communicate in a particular language.

Synonyms

Examples

  • The traveler had several languages at his command.
  • She had a good knowledge of the local language.

Related Words