farewell
nounadjectiveinterjectionverbcommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//fɛəˈwɛl//
- United States//fɛɹˈwɛl//
- Australia//feːˈwel//
- New Zealand//ˈfeəˈwel//
- //ˈfiəˈwel//
A wish of happiness or safety at parting, especially a permanent departure.
noun
- 1
A wish of happiness or safety at parting, especially a permanent departure.
He bid farewell to all of his fans.
The departure was not unduly prolonged.[…]Within the door Mrs. Spoker hastily imparted to Mrs. Love a few final sentiments on the subject of Divine Intention in the disposition of buckets; farewells and last commiserations; a deep, guttural instigation to the horse; and the wheels of the waggonette crunched heavily away into obscurity.
The last train—a three-coach A.E.C. unit—from Belfast to Crumlin and back, was bade farewell with fog signals as it carried a capacity crowd of last-trip travellers.
- 2
A departure; the act of leaving.
See how the morning opes her golden gates, And takes her farewell of the glorious sun.
Before I take my farewell of the subject.
Etymology
From Middle English farewel, from fare wel! (and the variants with the personal pronoun "fare ye well" and "fare you well" used in the Renaissance), an imperative expression, possibly further derived from Old English *far wel!, equivalent to fare (“to fare, travel, journey”) + well. Compare Scots farewele, fairweill (“farewell”), Saterland Frisian Foarwäil (“farewell”), West Frisian farwol (“farewell”), German Fahrwol, Fahrwohl, East Frisian forwal, Dutch vaarwel (“farewell (sadly)”), Danish farvel (“farewell”), Norwegian farvel (“farewell”), Swedish farväl (“farewell”), Faroese farvæl (“goodbye”), Icelandic far vel (“farewell”). The extensive list of cognates suggests a postulated ultimate Proto-Germanic phrase of origin, possibly something akin to *far wela.
adjective
- 1
Parting, valedictory, final.
a farewell discourse; the band's farewell tour
“I'm through with all pawn-games,” I laughed. “Come, let us have a game of lansquenet. Either I will take a farewell fall out of you or you will have your sevenfold revenge”.
But with the first gray light of dawn he arose; and before drawing the white sheet veilingly over, he took a last farewell look at that angel face.
interjection
- 1
Goodbye
He said "Farewell!" and left.
So farewell hope, and with hope, farewell fear.
Fareweel, my rhyme-compoſing billie! Your native ſoil was right ill-willie; But may ye flouriſh like a lily, Now bonilie! I'll toaſt ye in my hindmoſt gillie, Tho' owre the Sea!
verb
- 1
To bid farewell or say goodbye.
He farewelled viewers with a warm sign-off after each bulletin: "May your news be good news, and goodnight."
Forms
- plural
- farewells
- past tense
- farewelled
- past participle
- farewelled
- present participle
- farewelling
- third person singular
- farewells
farewell · A wish of happiness or safety at parting, especially a permanent departure.
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