Varied

How to spell varied

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce varied

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does varied mean?

1. adjectiveShowing a wide range of different things; diverse.
2. verbPast tense of vary: changed or differed over time or across cases.

Varied in a sentence

• adjective

  The museum offers a varied collection of modern artworks.

• verb

  The ticket prices varied from one airline to the next.

• adjective

  A varied diet helps you get a broad range of nutrients.

• verb

  His energy levels varied throughout the working day.

Where does varied come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin adjective varius, which meant 'diverse', 'changeable', or even 'spotted and mottled', as of an animal's markings. From it Latin built the verb variare, 'to change' or 'to make different', and that verb passed into English through Old French varier during the late 1300s. The form 'varied' is simply the verb 'vary' with the standard -ed ending, working either as the past tense ('things varied') or as a descriptive adjective ('a varied selection'). The same Latin root sits inside relatives such as 'various', 'variety', and 'variable', all carrying the core idea of difference and change. Because the root keeps a single 'r' and the stem ends in -y becoming -ied, the trap for writers is choosing between 'varied' and the noun-like 'varried' or the confusable 'veried'; the spelling stays faithful to the Latin vari-.

How the word is built

• vari- (from Latin varius: diverse, spotted)
• -ed (adjective/past-tense suffix)