how farest thou

/haʊ ˈfɛəɹɪst ðaʊ/

phrase

how are you?, how's it going?

OriginOld English hū færest þū →
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Meanings

phrasehow farest thou?
  1. obsoletehow are you?, how's it going?

    POMPEY: "I know thee now. How farest thou, soldier?" ENOBARBUS: "Well. And well am like to do, for I perceive four feasts are toward."

    c. 1607, William Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
how are you

Origin

  1. Old Englishhū færest þū
  2. Englishhow farest thou

Occurs already as Old English hū færest þū, literally “how are you going or traveling.”

More words from Old English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

how farest thou. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20farest%20thou

MLA

“how farest thou.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20farest%20thou. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “how farest thou,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20farest%20thou.

Source: how farest thou on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.