add

Meanings

1. To put something together with something else.
2. To find the total of two or more numbers.
3. To say something more.

Example sentences

• "Add two cups of flour to the bowl."

  Level A1, Meaning 1

• "If you add three and four, you get seven."

  Level A1, Meaning 2

• "She added that she would be late."

  Level A2, Meaning 3

• "Please add your name to the list."

  Level A1, Meaning 1

Synonyms and antonyms

Look-alikes and common mistakes

• ad : Ad is short for advertisement. Add, with two d's, means to put together.
• sum : A sum is the total you get when you add numbers. Add is the action of finding it.

Word family and forms

Forms: adds, added, adding

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "add".

• add up
• add to
• add that
• add some salt
• add a comment
• add a name

Idioms and phrases

add up

To make sense, or to find a total.

"The story does not add up."

add fuel to the fire

To make a bad situation worse.

"His angry reply only added fuel to the fire."

Origin

Add came into English in the 1300s from Latin addere, which means to put to or to give. The Latin word is built from ad, meaning to, and dare, to give or put. The root idea is putting one thing next to another.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

How to remember it

Add has two d's, and in math it is the one with a plus sign: ADD means plus.

Test yourself

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