fedin
HighNeutral to informal, depending on usage.
Definition
Meaning
Past tense and past participle of 'feed' – to give food to someone or something.
Can refer to being supplied with information, resources, or data; also used informally to mean 'tired of' or 'bored with' something (fed up).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As the past form of 'feed', it is regular and common. The phrasal verb 'fed up' is a fixed informal idiom expressing annoyance or boredom.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. 'Fed up' is equally common in both varieties. The verb form 'fed' follows the same regular pattern.
Connotations
Identical. 'Fed up' carries the same informal, slightly exasperated tone in both dialects.
Frequency
Equally high frequency for the past tense verb. The idiom 'fed up' is very common in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] fed [Object] (e.g., She fed the baby).[Subject] fed [Object 1] [Object 2] (e.g., He fed the dog its dinner).[Subject] fed [Object] into/with/to [something] (e.g., They fed the details into the system).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “fed up (with)”
- “spoon-fed”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to supplying data or resources (e.g., 'The software fed the report directly to the client').
Academic
Used in biological/nutritional contexts (e.g., 'The mice were fed a controlled diet').
Everyday
Most common as the past tense of feeding pets/people or the idiom 'fed up' (e.g., 'I'm fed up with this weather').
Technical
In computing/engineering, describes inputting data or material (e.g., 'The scanner fed the images to the server').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She fed the ducks at the pond yesterday.
- The journalist was fed confidential documents.
American English
- He fed the meter with quarters.
- The system fed the results to my email automatically.
adverb
British English
- This word is not standardly used as an adverb.
American English
- This word is not standardly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The well-fed cattle grazed in the field.
- She was absolutely fed up with the constant delays.
American English
- The hand-fed parrot was very tame.
- I'm getting fed up with all this paperwork.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I fed my dog this morning.
- The baby was fed and is now sleeping.
- We were fed a lovely meal at the hotel.
- He's fed up with his noisy neighbours.
- The investigation was fed new evidence by an anonymous source.
- After years of the same routine, she felt utterly fed up.
- The algorithm is fed vast amounts of data to improve its accuracy.
- A populace fed on sensationalist media may become cynical.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a baby who has been FED – their tummy is now full and they are FED and happy. If they cry too much, you might get FED UP.
Conceptual Metaphor
INFORMATION/SUSTENANCE IS FOOD (e.g., 'fed information', 'spoon-fed answers'). ANNOYANCE IS BEING OVERFED (e.g., 'fed up').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing 'fed' (past tense of кормить) with 'fat' (толстый).
- The idiom 'fed up' does not translate directly as 'накормлен'. It means 'сыт по горло'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'feeded' as the past tense (incorrect; it's 'fed').
- Confusing 'fed up' (annoyed) with 'full up' (having eaten enough).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'fed' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'feed' is an irregular verb. The past tense and past participle is always 'fed'.
'Fed up with' is the standard, grammatically correct preposition. 'Fed up of' is commonly heard in informal British English but is considered non-standard by many grammarians.
Yes, in its core meaning (e.g., 'The refugees were well fed'), and in technical contexts (e.g., 'The program was fed clean data'). The negative sense is almost exclusively from the idiom 'fed up'.
Frequently. For example: 'The animals are fed twice a day,' or 'He was fed misleading information.'