Meaning & use
a bride to be
Last updated
UK/ə ˌbraɪd tə ˈbiː/
US/ə ˌbraɪd tə ˈbiː/
Meaning
nouncountable
A woman who is going to get married soon.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a bride-to-be' or 'two brides-to-be'.
Patterns
- a bride-to-be
- the bride-to-be
- a party for the bride-to-be
The bride-to-be was excited about her upcoming wedding.
Her friends organized a party for the bride-to-be.
The bride-to-be tried on several wedding dresses.
Word forms
| plural | brides-to-be |
|---|
Common combinations
- a party for the bride-to-be
- They threw a party for the bride-to-be.
- the bride-to-be's dress
- The bride-to-be's dress was beautiful.
- congratulate the bride-to-be
- Everyone wanted to congratulate the bride-to-be.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fiancée
- A woman engaged to be married; 'bride-to-be' is more informal and often used around wedding events.
Word family
- bride noun
- A woman on her wedding day or just after.
- bridegroom noun
- A man on his wedding day; the male equivalent.
Commonly confused: a bride to be or bride?
a bride to be vs bride
A bride is already getting married or just married; a bride-to-be is not married yet.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'bride-to-be' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A bride-to-be is a woman who is going to be married, so choosing a wedding cake fits. The other options describe a married woman, a man, or a flower, which are incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a bride to be”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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