’d

See also: Appendix:Variations of "d"

English

Etymology

Contraction of would or had.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d/
• (US) IPA^(key): /d/, [d], [d̚]

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (US):

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Verb

'd (clitic)

1. Contraction of had (as an auxiliary verb).

   He’d done his best, but it hadn't been enough.

   You’d seen it before anyone else had.

   I’d better not.

   They baby’d been crying all night.

   • 1861, George Eliot, chapter VI, in Silas Marner:

     p’rhaps you didn’t say the cow was a red Durham; and p’rhaps you didn’t say she’d got a star on her brow

2. Contraction of had (as a main verb, but not a phrasal verb).

   I'd no reason to doubt him.

   • 1920, Agatha Christie, chapter II, in The Mysterious Affair at Styles:

     “He’s a dear little man,” said Cynthia. “I’d no idea you knew him.”

   • 1963 Peter, Paul and Mary, "Polly Von":

     She'd her apron wrapped about her and he took her for a swan.

   • 1974, Stanley Middleton, Holiday:

     She’d two advantages over him: she’d more fire and a complete conviction she was in the right.

3. Contraction of would or should.

   Synonym: 'ld

   I’d like to help, but I have no time.

   John’d prefer not to go out tonight.

   If I knew his name, I'd tell you.

4. (colloquial) Contraction of did.

   Hey, where’d everybody go? Why’d they take off?

   Why the hell'd you do that?

Usage notes

• Usually a representation of informal speech, either quoted dialogue or as used in informal writing.
• Most frequently used with pronouns (I'd, he'd, she'd etc.), but potentially with almost any everyday noun, as well as with personal names.
• Compare -'d.

See also

• ’ll
• ’m
• ’re
• ’s (third person)
• ’ve

Anagrams

• d'

Romagnol

Alternative forms

• d'

Preposition

'd

1. apocopic form of ad (“of”)