adieu

IPA/əˈdjuː/
KK[ədˈu]IPA/əˈduː/

adieu — exclamation

1. a word said to someone when you are leaving them, especially when you do not exp

1.exclamationB2
Definition

a word said to someone when you are leaving them, especially when you do not expect to see them again for a long time or ever — a formal and somewhat old-fashioned alternative to 'goodbye'.

Example

'Adieu!' the old sailor cried as his ship sailed away from the harbour.

direct exclamation in a farewell scene

Madame Chen said 'Adieu' to her dinner guests and closed the heavy oak door behind them.

adieu + to + indirect object in a formal setting

Synonyms
  • farewell

    similar level of formality but more common in modern English

  • goodbye

    neutral everyday term; lacks the dramatic finality of 'adieu'

  • so long

    informal and casual, used when a brief parting is expected

Antonyms
  • hello

    standard greeting at a meeting, opposite of parting

  • welcome

    greeting to someone who has just arrived

Grammar Patterns

adieu + (to + noun phrase)

Usage Note

Rare in everyday spoken English; found mainly in literature, letters, films, or theatrical contexts where a dramatic parting is intended.

Common Mistakes

I said adieu to my coworker after the meeting.
I said goodbye to my coworker after the meeting.
'Adieu' sounds overly dramatic for a routine parting; use 'goodbye' for everyday situations.
She whispered "adeiu" as she left the room.
She whispered "adieu" as she left the room.
The French spelling a-d-i-e-u is often confused; there is no 'i' before the 'e'.

adieu — noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to parting, but they differ in register, frequency, and connotation. 'Goodbye' is the neutral, everyday term used in all contexts — you say it to a shop assistant or a close friend alike. 'Farewell' is more formal and carries a similar sense of finality to 'adieu', but it is far more common in modern English, appearing in speeches, letters, and published writing. 'Send-off' is informal and specifically describes a celebratory event — a party or gathering held for someone who is departing. 'Valediction' is a rare, formal term that refers to the actual words spoken in farewell, not the act itself (e.g. a valedictorian's speech at graduation). 'Adieu' sits at the dramatic, literary end of the spectrum. Use it when you want to evoke an old-fashioned or theatrical mood — for example, bidding an emotional adieu to a character at the end of a novel, or signing off a personal letter with a touch of gravity.

farewell ↗goodbye ↗send-offvalediction ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • bid adieu
  • wave adieu
  • say adieu

Prepositions

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Borrowed into English from French in the 1300s. The French expression 'à Dieu' literally means 'to God' — a shortened form of 'je vous recommande à Dieu' ('I commend you to God'), a parting blessing that implies the next meeting is in God's hands. This sense of finality has stayed with the word ever since.