What Is The Past Tense Of Greet?
The past tense of greet is greeted. The rule for forming the past tense of regular verbs in English is to add “-ed” to the base form of the verb. “Greet” is a regular verb. Thus, like the past tense of glow, we follow this rule to form its past tense.
The past participle of greet is also greeted. This form is used to create various verb tenses, namely the past perfect and the present perfect alike.
You can check out the table below to get more verb forms of greet:
Base/Infinitive Form (V1) | greet |
Present Form/3rd Person/Singular Form | greets |
Past Form (V2) | greeted |
Past Participle Form (V3) | greeted |
Present Participle/Gerund | greeting |
How To Pronounce “Greet” And “Greeted” Properly?
The verb greet is pronounced as /ɡriːt/, and greeted is spelled as /ɡriːtɪd/ in both British and American English. The table below may give you more details:
Verb Forms | Pronunciation | |
British English language | American English language | |
greet | /ɡriːt/ | /ɡriːt/ |
greeted (V2) | /ɡriːtɪd/ | /ɡriːtɪd/ |
greeted (V3) | /ɡriːtɪd/ | /ɡriːtɪd/ |
greeting | /ˈɡriːtɪŋ/ | /ˈɡriːtɪŋ/ |
How to say “greet” and “greeted” as naturally as native speakers? You can refer to the videos below:
Greet pronunciation:
Greeted pronunciation:
What Are The Definitions Of The Verb Greet? How To Use Greeted?
Greet and greet both have the same meanings. The present tense is meant to depict actions that are habitual, factual, or currently happening. It is also used for general truths, states, and conditions that are true in the present.
On the other hand, we use the past tense to describe completed actions, events, or situations that occurred and ended in the past.
- To say hello or use a gesture of welcome or recognition to someone
Example 1: When I arrived at the party, my friend greeted me warmly with a hug and kiss.
Example 2: The hostess greeted us with a warm smile, and she led us to our table.
- To react to someone or something in a particular way
Example 1: The team greeted their winning with joy, and vowed to work harder for the next games.
Example 2: When she heard the news, she greeted it with shock and disbelief.
- (Usually passive) When somebody is greeted by sight, sound, or smell, they notice it immediately
Example 1: As we emerged from the forest, we were greeted by a stunning view of the mountains in the distance.
Example 2: As soon as we entered the bakery, the delicious smell of freshly baked bread greeted us.
Exercises
FAQs
What Are The Synonyms And Antonyms Of The Verb Greet?
According to the Thesaurus, some common synonyms of the verb greet are: Welcome, acknowledge, salute, embrace, hail, meet, address, receive, toast, and congratulate.
The antonyms of the verb greet are: Ignore, avoid, shun, disregard, reject, dismiss, neglect, spurn, say farewell, and say goodbye.
Note: Some of these antonyms may not be direct opposites of “greet” in all contexts.
For example, “ignore” or “dismiss” may be antonyms of “greet” in some situations. However, in other cases, the opposite of “greet” might be “say farewell”. The appropriate antonym will depend on the specific context in which the word is used.
What Are The Idioms And Phrasal Verbs Of Greet?
Idioms:
- Meet and greet: An event or activity where people can meet and interact with a particular person or group, often for promotional or networking purposes.
Example: The bookstore hosted a meet and greet with the bestselling author.
- Greet with open arms: To warmly and enthusiastically welcome someone or something.
Example: When the soldier returned from overseas, his family greeted him with open arms and tears of joy.
- Greet the day: To wake up early in the morning and begin a new day with enthusiasm and energy.
Example: The avid runner likes to greet the day with a brisk jog around the park before work.
Phrasal Verb:
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- Greet (somebody or something) with (something): To welcome or meet a special person with something in a particular way.
- Examples:
My children greeted me with signs and cakes when I got home from my long business trip.
I’m sorry to greet you with such sadness, but I really can’t get over this sorrow.
Is Greet A Transitive Or Intransitive Verb?
The verb greet is a transitive verb, which requires a direct object in the sentence. You can check out some examples below to make it clearer:
- He greeted his old friend with a hug. (direct object: his old friend)
- The host greeted each guest individually. (direct object: each guest)
- She greeted the news with joy. (direct object: the news)

His name is Benjamin Essek – The founder of Grammar Wiki. He is an English native speaker and has joined many English classes, learning communities to support other people with this common language as well.