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Definition of ferry
ferry
/ˈfɛr.i/
fer · ry
Plural:ferries
•Past Simple:ferried
•Past Participle:ferried
•Present Participle:ferrying
ferry Lexical Profile
CEFR
A2
Grade
4
Tier
2
Usage
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ferry Game Scores & Validity
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Wordle Guess
• noun
1
A boat or ship used for conveying passengers, vehicles, or goods across a body of water, especially as a regular service.
Example
"We took the morning ferry across the bay to reach the island."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for ferry• verb
1
To convey passengers, vehicles, or goods in a boat or ship across a body of water.
Example
"The local boats ferried tourists between the cruise ship and the harbor all day long."
2
To transport people or things from one place to another using any vehicle.
Example
"She spent the weekend ferrying her children to various sports practices."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for ferry• Rhymes for ferry
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'ferian' meaning 'to carry, convey', tracing back to the Proto-Germanic '*farjanan' and the Proto-Indo-European root '*per-' (to lead or pass over).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Ferry. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/ferry