Meanings
present singular third person betroths · participle present betrothing · past betrothed · participle past betrothed · participle past betrothen · first person past singular betrothed · archaic present second person singular betrothest · past second person singular betrothed · archaic past second person singular betrothedst · present singular third person betroths · present singular third person betrothes · archaic present singular third person betrotheth · past singular third person betrothed · past plural betrothed · past subjunctive betrothed · participle present betrothing
- archaicformaltransitiveOf a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse; to plight one's troth to.
And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him goe and returne vnto his houſe, leſt he die in battel, and another man take her.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy 20:7, signature [S5], verso, column 2 - archaicformaltransitiveOften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; specifically and chiefly, to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man; to affiance.
He betrothed his daughter to a distant relative.
5 more examples
The couple were betrothed not long after they met each other.
You to remoue that ſiege of griefe from her [Juliet] / Betrothd and vvould haue married her perforce / To Countie Paris.
c. 1591–1595 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] Romeo and Iuliet. […] (Second Quarto), London: […] Thomas Creede, for Cuthbert Burby, […], published 1599, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], signature M, rectoTo me, O Bacchus thou betrothedſt Heaven: / Ah me! for heaven vvhat dovvries here are given!
1640, Ovid, “The Third Book; or, March”, in John Gower, transl., Ovids Festivalls, or Romane Calendar, […], Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Roger Daniel, printer to the University of Cambridge; [a]nd are to be sold by M[ichael] S[parke] junior, […], →OCLC, page 61VVherefore let Chriſtiana look out ſome Damſels for her Sons, to vvhom they may be Betroathed, &c. that the Name of their Father, and the Houſe of his Progenitors may never be forgotten in the VVorld.
1684, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress. From This World to That which is to Come: The Second Part. […], London: […] Nathaniel Ponder […], →OCLC, page 147And in the ſixth month the angel Gabriel vvas ſent from God, unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin eſpouſed to a man, vvhoſe name vvas Joſeph, of the houſe of David, and the virgins name vvas Mary. […] [Note] 26, 27. Not married but betrothed.
1685, Richard Baxter, A Paraphrase on the New Testament, with Notes, Doctrinal and Practical. […], London: […] B. Simmons, […], →OCLC, Luke I:26–27, note, signature [a], verso, column 2 - archaicfigurativelyformaltransitiveChristianityOf God: to enter into a relationship with (believers, or the church as a whole); also, of a priest: to pledge (himself) to the church prior to being consecrated as a bishop.
God betrotheth thee in righteouſnes, and putteth righteouſnes into thee; […]
1643, Jer: Burroughes [i.e., Jeremiah Burroughs], “The Eighteenth Lecture. Hosea 2. 19.”, in An Exposition of the Prophesie of Hosea. […], London: […] W. E. and J. G. for R. Dawlman, →OCLC, page 6434 more examples
And I [God] will betroth thee [his people] vnto me foreuer; yea, I will betroth thee vnto me in righteouſneſſe, and in iudgement, and in louing kindneſſe, and in mercies. I will euen betroth thee vnto me in faithfulneſſe, and thou ſhalt know the Lord.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hosea 2:19–20, signature Eeee3, verso, column 2He [Jesus] has paid my Debts to thy [God the Father's] Juſtice, and thou vvill not be tvvice paid: Thou betrotheſt in Judgment, on mature Counſel; thy Gifts and Callings are vvithout Repentance: Thou foreſavveſt all Events, and hovv often I ſhould abuſe thy Mercy, grieve thy Spirit, and yet betrothedſt in Judgment: […]
1720, Elizabeth Bury, “Her Remarks on Her Self at Sacraments, and Covenanting with GOD”, in An Account of the Life and Death of Mrs. Elizabeth Bury, Who Died, May the 11th, 1720. Aged 76. Chiefly Collected out of Her Own Diary. […], Bristol: […] J. Penn, and sold by J. Sprint, […]; and Em. Matthews, […], →OCLC, pages 102–103[W]henever any Biſhop is conſecrated, he be conſecrated to ſome certain and determinate Church, to vvhich he vvas betrothed, or became a Spouſe at the Time of his Confirmation. Hereby it ſeems, that if any Perſon be conſecrated a Biſhop to that Church, vvhereunto he vvas not before betrothed, he ſhall not receive the Habit of Conſecration, as not being Canonically promoted to it.
1726, John Ayliffe, “Of Consecration of Churches, Bishops and the Like”, in Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani: Or, A Commentary, by Way of Supplement to the Canons and Constitutions of the Church of England. […], London: […] D. Leach, and sold by John Walthoe […], →OCLC, page 195[M]ay my soul remember thee, oh thou God of my salvation! […] [T]hou passedst by, and didst bid me live, and didst cleanse me, and take me home, and betrothedst me to thyself, and made me thine for ever; […]
1810, Robert Hawker, “March.—[22.]”, in The Poor Man’s Morning Portion, Being a Selection of a Verse of Scripture, with Short Observations, for Every Day in the Year; […], 3rd edition, London: […] [F]or Thomas Williams, […], by Richard Marks & Co. […], →OCLC, page 85 - figurativelyformalobsoletetransitiveTo pledge or promise oneself to (a cause); to espouse; also (sometimes reflexive), to pledge or promise (oneself or one's efforts) to a cause or to do something.
[W]hat is he for a foole that betrothes himſelfe to vnquietneſſe?
1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, Much Adoe about Nothing. […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], signature B2, verso4 more examples
To priuate fight they haue betroutht themſelues, / Of which conflicte, the end muſt needes be this, / That one do liue, that other die the death.
1566, Euripides, “Iocasta: A Tragedie Written in Greke by Euripides, […]”, in George Gascoigne, Francis Kinwelmershe, transl., A Hundreth Sundrie Flowres Bounde up in One Small Poesie. […], London: […] [Henry Bynneman and Henry Middleton for] Richarde Smith, published 1573, →OCLC, Act IIIJ, scene j, page 134He [John Donne] vvas novv entered into the eighteenth year of his age, and at that time had betrothed himſelf to no Religion that might give him any other denomination than a Chriſtian.
1670, Izaak Walton, “The Life”, in The Lives of Dr. John Donne, Sir Henry Wotton, Mr. Richard Hooker, Mr. George Herbert. […], volume I, London: […] Tho[mas] Newcomb for Richard Marriott, […], →OCLC, page 14It vvill be enough for thoſe that have betrothed the VVay [Christianity], that many are the hands heads and hearts of ſuch vvorthy and unvvearied Gentlemen as are Going along vvith them.
167[4?] April 4 (date written; Gregorian calendar), N[athaniel] Fairfax, “To the Right Worshipful Sir William Blois, Knight”, in A Treatise of the Bulk and Selvedge of the World. Wherein the Greatness, Littleness and Lastingness of Bodies are Freely Handled. […], London: […] Robert Boulter, […], published 1674, →OCLC, signatures [A7], recto – [A7], verso[C]ontinuing to work on my Ph.D., still renting an apartment in Australia, […] I am out of sight, out of mind, I don't belong, a special COVID status is given for me to go on. A three-month renewal to which I am now betrothen, the plans I submit get pushed with delay after delay.
2022, Rashmi Rangarajan, Samran Daneshfar, quoting Rashmi Rangarajan, “Processing Uncertainty during COVID-19: A Collaborative Autoethnography of Two Stranded International Ph.D. Students”, in Basil Cahusac de Caux, Lynette Pretorius, Luke Macaulay, editors, Research and Teaching in a Pandemic World: The Challenges of Establishing Academic Identities during Times of Crisis, Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore, →DOI, →ISBN, part II (Academic Identity Development amidst Pandemic-induced Loss, Trauma, and Grief), page 48
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*dóru“tree; hence, firm, hard; faithful, true”
- Proto-Germanic*triwwiþō“contract; promise”
- Old Englishtrīewþ
- Middle Englishbitrouthen
- Englishbetroth
From Middle English bitrouthen, bitreuthen (“of a man: to pledge to marry; to give (a woman) in marriage, arrange the marriage of”), from bi- (prefix forming transitive verbs from nouns) + trouth, treuthe (“faithfulness, fidelity, specifically marital fidelity; promise, undertaking, specifically a promise of marriage; truth; etc.”) (from Old English trīewþ, trēowþ (“fidelity; good faith, honour; assurance of good faith, covenant, troth; truth”), from Proto-Germanic *triwwiþō (“contract; promise”), from Proto-Indo-European *dóru (“tree; hence, firm, hard; faithful, true”)), possibly modelled after Old English trēowsian (“to pledge oneself; to prove oneself to be true”)). By surface analysis, be- + troth.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian сгодявам
- сгодявам (sgodjavam)often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Chinese Mandarin 訂婚 /订婚, 聘
- 訂婚 /订婚 (dìnghūn)of a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- 聘 (pìn)often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
- 許嫁 /许嫁 (xǔjià)often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
- 許配 /许配 (xǔpèi)often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Dutch zich verloven, verloven
- zich verlovenof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- verlovenoften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Esperanto fianĉiĝi, fianĉigi
- fianĉiĝiof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- fianĉigioften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Finnish kihlata, kihlautua
- kihlataof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- kihlautuaof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- luvata puolisoksioften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
- lupautuaof God: to enter into a relationship with (believers, or the church as a whole)
- lupautuaof a priest: to pledge (himself) to the church prior to being consecrated as a bishop
French se fiancer, fiancer
- se fiancerof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- fianceroften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
German sich verloben, verloben
- sich verlobenof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- verlobenoften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Greek μνηστεύομαι, μνηστεύω
- μνηστεύομαι (mnistévomai)of a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- μνηστεύω (mnistévo)often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Hungarian eljegyez, eljegyeztet
- eljegyezof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- eljegyeztetoften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Icelandic trúlofast
- trúlofastof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
Irish luaigh le, geall
- luaigh leof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- gealloften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Italian fidanzarsi, fidanzare
- fidanzarsiof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- fidanzareoften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
- promettere in sposaoften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Japanese 婚約する
- 婚約する (kon'yaku suru)of a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
Māori taipū, whakaihi
- taipūoften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
- whakaihioften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
- whakapākūwhāoften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Polish zaręczyć się
- zaręczyć sięoften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Portuguese prometer
- prometeroften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Romanian logodi
- logodioften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Russian обруча́ться, обручи́ться
- обруча́ться (obručátʹsja)of a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- обручи́ться (obručítʹsja)of a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- помо́лвиться (pomólvitʹsja)of a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- обруча́ть (obručátʹ)often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
- обручи́ть (obručítʹ)often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
- помо́лвить (pomólvitʹ)often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Spanish comprometerse en matrimonio, desposarse
- comprometerse en matrimonioof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- desposarseof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- prometer (en matrimonio)often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
- comprometer en matrimoniooften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
- desposaroften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Swedish förlova sig, förlova
- förlova sigof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
- förlovaoften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
- trolovaoften of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Thai คู่หมั้น่
- คู่หมั้น่often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
Turkish nişanlanmak
- nişanlanmakof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
Welsh dyweddïo
- dyweddïoof a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
Yiddish פֿאַרקנסן
- פֿאַרקנסן (farknsn)of a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with betroth
Cite this entry
betroth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/betroth
“betroth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/betroth. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “betroth,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/betroth.
Source: betroth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.