such Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite of so extreme a degree or extent
    • such weeping
    • so much weeping
    • such a help
    • such grief
    • never dreamed of such beauty
  2. adverb to so extreme a degree
    • he is such a baby
    • Such rich people!

WordNet


Such adjective
Etymology
OE. such, sich, sech, sik, swich, swilch, swulch, swilc, swulc, AS. swelc, swilc, swylc; akin to OFries. selik, D. zulk, OS. sulic, OHG. sulih, solih, G. solch, Icel. slikr, OSw. salik, Sw. slik, Dan. slig, Goth. swaleiks; originally meaning, so shaped. *192. See So, Like, a., and cf. Which.
Definitions
  1. Of that kind; of the like kind; like; resembling; similar; as, we never saw such a day; -- followed by that or as introducing the word or proposition which defines the similarity, or the standard of comparison; as, the books are not such that I can recommend them, or, not such as I can recommend; these apples are not such as those we saw yesterday; give your children such precepts as tend to make them better.
    And in his time such a conqueror That greater was there none under the sun. Chaucer.
    His misery was such that none of the bystanders could refrain from weeping. Macaulay.
    ✍ The indefinite article a or an never precedes such, but is placed between it and the noun to which it refers; as, such a man; such an honor. The indefinite adjective some, several, one, few, many, all, etc., precede such; as, one such book is enough; all such people ought to be avoided; few such ideas were then held.
  2. Having the particular quality or character specified.
    That thou art happy, owe to God; That thou continuest such, owe to thyself. Milton.
  3. The same that; -- with as; as, this was the state of the kingdom at such time as the enemy landed. "[It] hath such senses as we have." Shak.
  4. Certain; -- representing the object as already particularized in terms which are not mentioned.
    In rushed one and tells him such a knight Is new arrived. Daniel.
    To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year. James iv. 13.
    Such is used pronominally. "He was the father of such as dwell in tents." Gen. iv. 20. "Such as I are free in spirit when our limbs are chained." Sir W. Scott. Such is also used before adjectives joined to substantives; as, the fleet encountered such a terrible storm that it put back. "Everything was managed with so much care, and such excellent order was observed." De Foe.
    Temple sprung from a family which . . . long after his death produced so many eminent men, and formed such distinguished alliances, that, etc. Macaulay.
    Such is used emphatically, without the correlative.
    Now will he be mocking: I shall have such a life. Shak.
    Such was formerly used with numerals in the sense of times as much or as many; as, such ten, or ten times as many.
    And many other such like things ye do. Mark vii. 8.

Webster 1913