adieu

noun

ə-ˈdü 

a-,

-ˈdyü

plural adieus or adieux ə-ˈdüz 

a-,

-ˈdyüz

: an expression of good wishes when someone leaves : goodbye

a heartfelt adieu

bid his teammates adieu

—often used interjectionally

Adieu, my friends!

Synonyms

• au revoir
• ave
• bon voyage
• congé
• congee
• farewell
• Godspeed
• good-bye
• good-by

Examples of adieu in a Sentence

we bid our adieus and were off

Recent Examples on the Web

For now, the industry must bid adieu to Cruise, one of the leading autonomous vehicle companies. Follow me on LinkedIn. —Gustavo Castillo, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Female skeeters tend to prefer floral scents best, so bid adieu to your beloved Delina and grab the DEET instead. —Sarah Kinonen, Allure, 27 Nov. 2024

Portman bid adieu to her brown-blonde long locks for a short bob with a dark brown hue for the chilly fall-winter season. —Raven Brunner, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024

That sadly didn’t come to pass, though moviegoers do get to bid adieu to an important character and say hello to a new cosmic supervillain. —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French a deu, a dieu, literally, "to God"

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

adieu

noun

ə-ˈd(y)ü 

a-

plural adieus or adieux -ˈd(y)üz 

: farewell entry 2 sense 1

—often used interjectionally

Etymology

Middle English adieu "farewell," from early French adieu (same meaning), from a Dieu, literally "(I commit you) to God," from Latin Deus "God" — related to adios, deity