ah-DYOO
Adieu is a formal French farewell meaning "goodbye" or "farewell." It conveys a sense of finality and is often used when parting for a long time or permanently. In word games, it's prized for containing four different vowels (A, E, I, U) making it an excellent Wordle starting word.
Yes. ADIEU is in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools and scores 6 points in Scrabble, 7 in Words With Friends and 7 in Wordfeud (base tile values, no board multipliers). Always check the dictionary your game uses (NWL, Collins or the WWF list) before playing.
| Letter | A | D | I | E | U | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Words With Friends | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Wordfeud | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
Adieu is a French word that has been adopted into English, serving as both an interjection and a noun. As an interjection, it means "goodbye" or "farewell," typically used in formal or literary contexts. Unlike casual farewells such as "bye" or "see you later," adieu carries a sense of finality and formality, often implying a long or permanent separation.
When used as a noun, adieu refers to the act of saying goodbye or a farewell itself. You might "bid someone adieu" or "make your adieus" before departing. The word's French origin gives it a sophisticated, romantic quality that makes it popular in poetry, literature, and formal speech. In modern usage, it's less common in everyday conversation but remains well-known and understood.
In the world of word games, adieu has gained remarkable popularity, particularly as a strategic opening word in Wordle. Its unique combination of four different vowels (A, E, I, U) plus the common consonant D makes it exceptionally valuable for quickly identifying which vowels are present in the target word. This vowel-rich composition has made it one of the most frequently recommended starting words by Wordle strategists and algorithms.
The word "adieu" entered English in the 14th century directly from Old French. Its etymology reveals a deeply religious origin: it comes from the phrase "à Dieu," literally meaning "to God." The full implied meaning was "Je vous recommande à Dieu" (I commend you to God), a blessing given when parting.
Anagrams: no other word uses exactly the letters of ADIEU.
Hooks: no front hooks; back ADIEUS, ADIEUX.
Words inside ADIEU: 13 shorter words can be made from these letters – highest scoring: AIDEIDEAAIDDIEDUEDUIADDEEAUEDIDAE. See all words from ADIEU.