Study > 4-letter Words


The 4 letter words with definitions, separated alphabetically.

Now updated for CSW24. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.

waacA member of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corp > WAACS.
waahan interjection used to express wailing.
wabs(Pl.) WAB, a web.
wackCrazy > WACKER, WACKEST; an eccentric, mad, or crazy person; a crackpot > WACKS.
waddAn earthy ore of manganese > WADDS. Also WAD, WADT.
wadeTo walk through water > WADES, WADING, WADED.
wadi(Arabic) the dry bed of a torrent; a river valley > WADIS. Also WADY.
wads(3rd.) WAD, to form into a wad.
wadtAn earthy ore of manganese > WADTS. Also WAD, WADD.
wady(Arabic) the dry bed of a torrent; a river valley > WADIES. Also WADI.
waes(Pl.) WAE, woe.
waffTo bark > WAFFS, WAFFING, WAFFED. Also WAUGH.
waftTo carry lightly over air or water > WAFTS, WAFTING, WAFTED.
wageTo engage in or carry on > WAGES, WAGING, WAGED.
wags(3rd.) WAG, to move from side to side.
waid(Obs.) weighed. Also WAIDE.
waif(Verb) to cast up as a waif > WAIFS, WAIFING, WAIFED.
wailTo utter a long, mournful cry > WAILS, WAILING, WAILED.
wainA farm wagon; (verb, obs.) to carry, convey > WAINS, WAINING, WAINED.
wairTo spend > WAIRS, WAIRING, WAIRED.
wais(Pl.) WAI, water.
waitTo stay in expectation of > WAITS, WAITING, WAITED.
waka1. (Japanese) a Japanese verse-form > WAKAS. 2. (Maori) a traditional Maori canoe, usu made of a hollowed tree trunk.
wakeTo rouse from sleep > WAKES, WAKING, WAKED or WOKE, WOKEN.
wakf(Arabic) the donation of land, property or money for charitable or pious purposes > WAKFS. Also WAQF.
wald(Scots) = WELD, wild mignonette > WALDS.
wale(Noun) a raised mark on the skin left by a blow. Also WEAL, WHEAL. (Verb) to choose > WALES, WALING, WALED.
wali(Turkish) a governor, esp. of a vilayet > WALIS. Also VALI.
walkTo advance on foot > WALKS, WALKING, WALKED.
wallTo provide with a wall (an upright structure built to enclose an area) > WALLS, WALLING, WALLED.
waly1. (Scots) alas.
wame(Obs.) womb > WAMES, WAMED. Also WEM, WEMB, WEAMB.
wandA slender rod > WANDS.
waneTo decrease in size or extent > WANES, WANING, WANED.
wang(Obs.) the cheek; a WANG tooth is a molar > WANGS.
wankTo masturbate > WANKS, WANKING, WANKED.
wans(3rd.) WAN, to make wan.
wantTo have a desire for > WANTS, WANTING, WANTED.
wanyWaning > WANIER, WANIEST. Also WANEY.
waps(3rd.) WAP, to throw off quickly.
waqf(Arabic) the donation of land, property or money for charitable or pious purposes > WAQFS. Also WAKF.
warb(Aust. sl.) a dirty or insignificant person > WARBS.
wardTo turn aside > WARDS, WARDING, WARDED.
ware(Verb) to beware of > WARES, WARING, WARED.
wark(Scots) to work > WARKS, WARKING, WARKED.
warmModerately hot > WARMER, WARMEST; WARMLY; (verb) to make warm > WARMS, WARMING, WARMED.
warnTo make aware of impending or possible danger > WARNS, WARNING, WARNED.
warpTo turn or twist out of shape > WARPS, WARPING, WARPED.
wars(3rd.) WAR, to make war.
wartA small hard excrescence on the skin caused by a virus > WARTS, WARTED.
waryCautious > WARIER, WARIEST; WARILY.
waseA small bundle of hay or straw for resting one's head > WASES.
washTo cleanse by immersing in or applying a liquid > WASHES, WASHING, WASHED, (obs.) WASHEN.
wasman obsolete belief; an out-of-fashion 'ism' > WASMS.
waspAny of a large number of insects belonging to the order Hymenoptera > WASPS.
wast(Obs.) waste > WASTS.
wate(Scots) 3rd pers. of WIT, to know.
wats(Pl.) WAT, a Buddhist temple.
wattThe SI unit of power, equal to a rate of working of one joule per second > WATTS.
waukTo full (cloth) > WAUKS, WAUKING, WAUKED. Also WAULK.
waulTo cry like a cat > WAULS, WAULING, WAULED. Also WAWL.
waur(Scots) to defeat, to worst > WAURS, WAURING, WAURED.
waveTo move freely back and forth or up and down > WAVES, WAVING, WAVED.
wavyWave-shaped > WAVIER, WAVIEST; WAVILY; (noun) (Am. Ind) the snow-goose > WAVIES. [Cree]. Also WAVEY.
wawa(Am. Ind.) to speak > WAWAS, WAWAING, WAWAED. [Chinook].
wawe(Spenser) a wave > WAWES.
wawlTo cry like a cat > WAWLS, WAWLING, WAWLED. Also WAUL.
waws(Pl.) WAW, a Hebrew letter.
waxyLike wax > WAXIER, WAXIEST; WAXILY.
ways(3rd.) WAY, to weigh, esteem.
wazz(Dial.) to urinate > WAZZES, WAZZING, WAZZED.
weakFeeble > WEAKER, WEAKEST; WEAKLY.
wealA ridge on the skin formed by a blow > WEALS. Also WALE, WHEAL.
weanTo withhold mother's milk from and substitute other nourishment > WEANS, WEANING, WEANED.
wearTo turn a ship's stern to windward to alter its course > WEARS, WEARING, WEARED; to put on clothes > WEARS, WEARING, WORE, WORN.
webs(3rd.) WEB, to envelop with a web.
weds(3rd.) WED, to marry.
weedTo remove weeds (undesirable plants) > WEEDS, WEEDING, WEEDED.
weekA period of seven days > WEEKS.
weelA whirlpool; a fish-trap > WEELS. Also WEIL, WIEL.
weem(Gaelic) a subterranean dwelling > WEEMS. [Gaelic uaim, cave].
weenTo think; to imagine > WEENS, WEENING, WEENED.
weepTo express sorrow by shedding tears > WEEPS, WEEPING, WEPT.
weer(Comp.) WEE, small.
wees(3rd.) WEE, to urinate.
weet(Verb) to know > WOT, WOTS, WOTTETH, WEETING, WEETED. Also WEETE, WYTE, WIT. (Adj.) wet > WEETER, WEETEST.
weft(Verb) to form a weft > WEFTS, WEFTING, WEFTED.
weid(Scots) any sudden illness, cold or relapse with febrile symptoms > WEIDS.
weilA whirlpool > WEILS. Also WEEL, WIEL.
weirA low dam that is built across a river to raise the water level, divert the water, or control its flow; (verb) to wear > WEIRS, WEIRING, WEIRED.
weka(Maori) a flightless rail of New Zealand > WEKAS.
weldA scentless species of MIGNONETTE, yielding a yellow dye. Also WALD. (Verb) to join two pieces of metal by fusing > WELDS, WELDING, WELDED.
welk(Obs.) to wither or shrivel > WELKS, WELKING, WELKED.
wellTo rise to the surface and flow forth > WELLS, WELLING, WELLED.
welp(conj) an expression used to preface a remark or full time.
welsGer.) a large fish, the American giant catfish, introduced into European rivers, aka sheatfish > WELS.
welt(Verb) to lash, beat > WELTS, WELTING, WELTED.
wemb(Obs.) womb > WEMBS. Also WEM, WAME, WEAMB.
wems(Pl.) WEM, womb.
wena(S. Afr.) you.
wendTo turn, to betake oneself > WENDS, WENDING, WENDED.
wens(Pl.) WEN, a sebaceous cyst.
went(Noun) (Spenser) a path, a journey > WENTS.
wept(Pt.) WEEP, to shed tears.
were(Pt.) BE.
wero(Maori) a challenge made by an armed Maori warrior to a visitor to a MARAE > WEROS.
wert(Pt.) BE.
west(Verb) to move towards the west > WESTS, WESTING, WESTED.
weta(Maori) a large New Zealand grasshopper > WETAS.
wets(3rd.) WET, to make wet.
wexe(Obs.) = WEX, waxed, grew.
weys(Pl.) WEY, a measure of dry goods.
whae(Scots) who. Also WHA.
whamTo crash or bang into > WHAMS, WHAMMING, WHAMMED.
whapTo beat > WHAPS, WHAPPING, WHAPPED. Also WHOP.
whatThe true nature of something > WHATS.
wheeAn expression of delight. No -S.
whenThe time in which something is done or occurs > WHENS.
whetTo sharpen by friction > WHETS, WHETTING, WHETTED.
whew(Verb) to say whew > WHEWS, WHEWING, WHEWED.
wheyThe watery part of milk which remains after the formation of curds > WHEYS.
whid(Scots) to move quickly, whiz > WHIDS, WHIDDING, WHIDDED. Cf. WHIDDER.
whig(Scots) to jog along > WHIGS, WHIGGING, WHIGGED.
whim(Verb) to be whimsical; to turn > WHIMS, WHIMMING, WHIMMED.
whinGorse, furze > WHINS.
whio(Maori) a New Zealand mountain duck with blue plumage > WHIO. No -S.
whipTo beat with a whip > WHIPS, WHIPPING, WHIPPED or WHIPT.
whirTo make a continuous rapid buzzing or softly clicking sound > WHIRS, WHIRRING, WHIRRED. Also WHIRR.
whitThe smallest particle imaginable > WHITS.
whizTo fly through the air with or as if with a whistling noise > WHIZZES, WHIZZING, WHIZZED.
whoaStop, esp. to a horse.
whomThe objective case of WHO.
whopTo beat > WHOPS, WHOPPING, WHOPPED. Also WHAP.
whot(Spenser) hot.
whow(Scots) interjection expressing deploration.
whup(Coll.) to defeat totally > WHUPS, WHUPPING, WHUPPED.
whys(Pl.) WHY, the reason or cause of something.
wice(Scots) wise.
wichA tree with pliant branches, as in wych elm > WICHES. Also WYCH.
wickA bundle of loosely twisted fibers in a candle or oil lamp > WICKS.
wideBroad > WIDER, WIDEST; WIDELY; (noun) a wide ball in cricket > WIDES.
wielA whirlpool > WIELS. Also WEIL, WEEL.
wife(Verb) to take to wife > WIFES, WIFING, WIFED.
wigs(3rd.) WIG, to scold.
wikiA collaborative web site that allows users to add, edit, and delete the site's content > WIKIS.
wildNot tame > WILDER, WILDEST; WILDLY; (verb) obs. form of WIELD > WILDS, WILDING, WILDED.
wile(Verb) to beguile, inveigle > WILES, WILING, WILED. Also WYLE.
wiliIn the ballet Giselle, the spirit of a girl who dies before her wedding day > WILIS.
willTo decide upon > WILLS, WILLING; WILLED; used as an auxiliary followed by a simple infinitive to express futurity, inclination, likelihood, or requirement > past sing. 2nd person WOULD, WOULDEST, or WOULDST.
wiltTo become limp > WILTS, WILTING, WILTED.
wilyCrafty > WILIER, WILIEST; WILILY.
wimpAn ineffectual or pusillanimous person; (verb) to behave like a wimp > WIMPS, WIMPING, WIMPED.
windTo pass around an object or fixed center > WINDS, WINDING, WINDED or WOUND.
wineAn alcoholic drink produced by the fermentation of grapes with water and sugar; (verb) to take wine > WINES, WINING, WINED.
wingTo travel by means of wings (organs of flight) > WINGS, WINGING, WINGED.
winkTo close and open one eye quickly > WINKS, WINKING, WINKED.
winn(Sl.) a penny > WINNS.
wino(Sl.) an alcoholic > WINOS or WINOES.
wins(3rd.) WIN, to gain.
winyLike or tasting of wine > WINIER, WINIEST. Also WINEY.
wipeTo rub lightly in order to clean or dry > WIPES, WIPING, WIPED.
wireTo fasten with wire (a slender rod, strand, or thread of ductile metal) > WIRES, WIRING, WIRED.
wiryThin and tough > WIRIER, WIRIEST; WIRILY.
wiseIntelligent > WISER, WISEST; WISELY; (Scots) to guide in a certain direction > WISES, WISING, WISED. Also WEISE, WEIZE.
wishTo feel an impulse toward attainment or possession of something > WISHES, WISHING, WISHED.
wisp(Verb) to make into a wisp > WISPS, WISPING, WISPED.
wissTo wish > WISSES, WISSING, WISSED.
wist(Arch.) to know > WISTS, WISTING, WISTED.
wite(Scots) to blame, lay the blame on > WITES, WITING, WITED. Also WIGHT, WYTE.
withIn the company of; (noun) a partition between chimney flues > WITHS.
wits(3rd.) WIT, to know.
wiveTo take for a wife; to become the wife of > WIVES, WIVING, WIVED.
woadA broad-leafed plant yielding a blue dye > WOADS, WOADED.
woaha call to stop, esp. to a horse.
wock(Chinese) a pan used in Chinese cookery > WOCKS. [Cantonese wohk, pan]. Also WOK.
woes(Pl.) WOE, grief, sadness.
wofs(Pl.) WOF, a fool, idiot.
woke(Pt.) WAKE, to rouse from sleep.
woks(Pl.) WOK, a pan used in Chinese cookery.
woldAn open tract of country > WOLDS.
wolfA predatory canine mammal, Canis lupus > WOLVES; (verb) to eat greedily > WOLFS, WOLFING, WOLFED.
womb(Shakesp.) to enclose > WOMBS, WOMBING, WOMBED.
wonkAn expert who studies a subject or issue thoroughly and excessively > WONKS.
wons(3rd.) WON, to abide, dwell.
wontTo be accustomed to > WONTS, WONTING, WONTED.
wood(Verb) to cover with woods or trees > WOODS, WOODING, WOODED.
woof(Verb) to bark > WOOFS, WOOFING, WOOFED.
woolThe dense, soft hair forming the coat of certain mammals > WOOLS, WOOLED, WOOLLED.
woon(Spenser) to dwell > WOONS, WOONING, WOONED. Cf. WON.
woos(3rd.) WOO, to court.
woot(Shakesp.) wilt (thou).
wops(3rd.) WOP, to beat, whop.
wordTo express in words (speech sounds that communicate meaning) > WORDS, WORDING, WORDED.
wore(Pt.) WEAR, to turn a ship's stern to windward to alter its course.
workTo exert one's powers of body or mind for some purpose > WORKS, WORKING, WORKED or WROUGHT.
wormTo rid of worms (small, limbless invertebrates) > WORMS, WORMING, WORMED.
wornAffected by wear or use.
wortAny herb or vegetable; an infusion of malt before fermentation > WORTS.
wost(Arch.) 2nd. pers. sing. pres. of WIT, to know.
wots(3rd.) WOT, to know.
wove(Pt.) WEAVE, to form by interlacing threads.
wowf(Scots) crazy > WOWFER, WOWFEST.
wows(3rd.) WOW, to impress.
wrapTo enclose in something wound or folded about > WRAPS, WRAPPING, WRAPPED or WRAPT.
wrenA small songbird > WRENS.
writA legal or financial document > WRITS.
wuds(Pl.) WUD, wood.
wudu(Arabic) ritual washing before the daily prayer > WUDUS.
wull(Spenser) to will > WULLS, WULLING, WULLED.
wussA wimp > WUSSES. Also WOOSE.
wychA tree with pliant branches, as in wych elm > WYCHES. Also WICH.
wyes(Pl.) WYE, the letter Y, or anything shaped like it.
wyleTo beguile > WYLES, WYLING, WYLED. Also WILE.
wyndA narrow street or lane > WYNDS.
wynnA rune having the value of modern English W > WYNNS. Also WYN.
wyns(Pl.) WYN, a rune, having the value of modern English W.
wyte(Scots) to blame, lay the blame on > WYTES, WYTING, WYTED. Also WITE, WIGHT.