Word
sew
US/ˈsoʊ/
UK/sˈəʊ/
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
sew
Past
sewed
Past participle
sewn / sewed
Definitions
01to join fabric
B1 · Intermediate
v. to join pieces of cloth together using a needle and thread.
v. to join, fasten, or repair fabric or other materials by making stitches with a needle and thread.
“My grandmother taught me how to sew a button onto a shirt.”
“After the hem of her dress caught on the chair, she had to quickly sew it back into place before the ceremony began.”
02to make by sewing
B1 · Intermediate
v. to make a piece of clothing or an object using a needle and thread.
v. to create a garment or textile object through the process of stitching.
“He decided to sew his own Halloween costume this year.”
“The designer spent weeks learning how to sew intricate patterns into the silk for the summer collection.”
03nautical grounding
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical
v. when a ship rests on the ground because the water is too shallow.
v. to rest on the ground, as a ship when the water level falls; the ship is said to 'sew' by the amount the water level has dropped below its floating depth.
“The boat began to sew as the tide went out in the small harbour.”
“The vessel was found to sew two feet at low water, making it impossible to move until the next high tide.”
Antonyms
Usage
The past participle can be either 'sewn' or 'sewed', though 'sewn' is more common in modern usage.
Etymology
From Middle English sewen, seowen, sowen, from Old English siwian, seowian, seowan (“to sew, mend, patch, knit together, link, unite”), from Proto-Germanic siwjaną (“to sew”), from Proto-Indo-European syewh₁- (“to sew”). Cognate with Scots sew, North Frisian saie, sei, Saterland Frisian säie, Danish sy, Swedish sy, and, more distantly, Polish szyć, Russian шить (šitʹ), Latin suō, Sanskrit सीव्यति (sī́vyati). Related to seam.
Back-formation from sewer (“a drain”).
From Middle English sew (“broth”), from Old English sēaw (“sap, juice”), from Proto-West Germanic *sauw.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
01. sew buttons
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/sew