# marry

/ˈmɛɹi/ (US) · /mˈæɹi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/marry
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to become a spouse

verb · CEFR A2

to become the husband or wife of someone in a legal or religious ceremony.

For teachers: to enter into a formal or legal union with another person as a spouse.

- They decided to marry in a small wooden church near the mountains.
- After dating for nearly a decade, the couple finally decided to marry in a private ceremony attended only by their immediate families.

### 2. to perform a ceremony

verb · CEFR B1

to lead a wedding ceremony as a priest or official.

For teachers: to perform the religious or legal service that joins two people in marriage.

- A local judge married them at the city hall last Friday.
- The ship's captain had the legal authority to marry the couple while they were in international waters.

### 3. to combine things

verb · CEFR B2

to join two different things or ideas together so they work well.

For teachers: to bring together or combine two different qualities, ideas, or objects into a harmonious whole.

- The chef's new recipe tries to marry traditional flavors with modern techniques.
- The architect's design successfully marries industrial aesthetics with the natural contours of the surrounding landscape.

### 4. to join ropes

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to join two ropes together so they can move through a block or be pulled together.

For teachers: to interlace the strands of two ropes or hold them together for simultaneous hauling.

- The sailors had to marry the two lines to pull the heavy sail up.
- The boatswain instructed the crew to marry the ropes before attempting to pass them through the narrow block.

Usage: Used specifically in nautical or rigging contexts.

### 5. indeed

interjection · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

an old word used to show surprise or to emphasize that something is true.

For teachers: an archaic exclamation used to express surprise, indignation, or emphasis.

- Marry, I did not expect to see you here so early.
- Marry, sir, I have not seen such a display of courage in many years.

Teaching tip: This term originated as a corruption of the name 'Mary' (the Virgin Mary) and is frequently encountered in Shakespearean texts.

## Examples

- They plan to marry next summer in a small church.
- After dating for five years, they decided to marry in a private ceremony attended only by their immediate family.
- The priest who agreed to marry the couple had been a close friend of the bride's family for several decades, adding a personal touch to the liturgy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.