What's the past tense of "sew"?
The simple past tense of sew is sewed, and the past participle is sewn. Both sewed and sewn can be used as the simple past tense, but sewed is more commonly preferred.
Definition of sew
The Oxford English Dictionary defines sew as "to use a needle and thread to make stitches in cloth." It's used in various contexts, from clothing construction to medical procedures.
- The past tense of sew is sewed.
- The past participle of sew is sewn.
Verb forms of 'sew'
Is 'sew' a regular or irregular verb?
Irregular — sew is an irregular verb. Its past tense is sewed and its past participle is sewn.
Unlike regular verbs that add -ed to form the past tense, irregular verbs have unique past tense and past participle forms. Learn more about irregular verbs.
When to use "sewed" vs. "sewn"
Use sewed for the simple past tense and sewn for the past participle (used with helping verbs like "have" or "has").
Past tense (sewed): "He sewed the patch onto the back of his jeans."
Past participle (sewn): "The jewel was sewn into the lining of his coat."
Sentence examples with 'sewed' and 'sewn'
Examples with 'sewed' (past tense)
- He sewed the patch onto the back of his jeans.
- He sewed a patch onto his sleeve.
- The surgeon sewed the wound shut.
Examples with 'sewn' (past participle)
- The jewel was sewn into the lining of his coat.
- The squares of fabric were all sewn neatly together.
- The ends of which are sewn together, forming a kind of skirt.
Synonyms & nearby words
Word origin
The word sew comes from Old English siwian "to stitch, sew, mend, patch, knit together, fasten by sewing," from Proto-Germanic *siwjanan.
FAQs
Practice: Irregular verbs
She ______ a beautiful dress for her daughter last weekend.
If the button falls off, I can ______ it back on for you.
The quilt was ______ by hand using colorful threads.
He has ______ patches onto his jacket for years.
She learned how to ______ when she was a child.
Sources
- Harper, Douglas. "Sew." Online Etymology Dictionary, 2024.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary. "Sew." Merriam-Webster.com, 2024.
- Oxford English Dictionary. "Sew." OED Online, 2024.
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