bedew: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Rare / LiteraryPoetic, Literary, Archaic
Quick answer
What does “bedew” mean?
To cover or sprinkle with drops of water or other liquid.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To cover or sprinkle with drops of water or other liquid; to moisten gently, as with dew.
Figuratively, to make something look as if it is wet with tears or other drops of liquid.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The word is equally rare and literary in both varieties.
Connotations
Evokes a pastoral, romantic, or melancholic imagery. Sounds old-fashioned or deliberately poetic.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. More likely to be encountered in 19th-century literature or modern poetic writing than in contemporary speech or prose.
Grammar
How to Use “bedew” in a Sentence
Transitive: Subject + bedew + object (with liquid).Passive: Be bedewed (with something).Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bedew” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The morning mist began to bedew the spider's web.
- Her eyes were bedewed with tears of gratitude.
American English
- The gardener will bedew the delicate seedlings with a fine spray.
- His forehead was bedewed with sweat after the long run.
adverb
British English
- No common adverb form.
American English
- No common adverb form.
adjective
British English
- No common adjective form.
American English
- No common adjective form.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rarely used outside of literary analysis or specific historical/poetic contexts.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bedew”
- Using it for heavy wetting (e.g., 'The storm bedewed the city' is wrong).
- Confusing it with 'bespeckle' or 'bedaub'.
- Using it in an inappropriate register (e.g., technical or business writing).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered a rare, literary, or archaic word. You will almost never hear it in everyday conversation.
Typically, it implies a light, gentle liquid like dew, light rain, tears, or sweat. It is not used for heavy soaking or pouring.
'Bedew' is more specific and poetic, suggesting scattered droplets like dew. 'Moisten' is a more general, neutral term for making something slightly wet.
Theoretically possible but extremely rare and non-standard. The action is normally described as 'bedewing'.
To cover or sprinkle with drops of water or other liquid.
Bedew is usually poetic, literary, archaic in register.
Bedew: in British English it is pronounced /bɪˈdjuː/, and in American English it is pronounced /bɪˈduː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this rare verb.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine BEing out at DAWN when the DEW covers everything. To BEDEW is to BE like the DEW – covering something with moisture.
Conceptual Metaphor
MOISTURE IS A LIGHT COVERING (like a blanket or veil).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the verb 'bedew' LEAST likely to be used?