verb

widmen

dedicate · devote

Etwas oder jemandem viel Zeit, Aufmerksamkeit oder Liebe geben, weil es wichtig ist.

Definition & meaning

widmen means to dedicate or to devote.

To dedicate something to someone
This is used for books, poems, songs, works of art, achievements, or other creations.
- Sie widmete ihm ihr Buch. — “She dedicated her book to him.”
- Das Lied ist ihrer Mutter gewidmet. — “The song is dedicated to her mother.”
To devote oneself or one’s time to something
With the reflexive form sich widmen, it means to give sustained attention, energy, or time to a subject or activity.
- Er widmet sich der Forschung. — “He devotes himself to research.”
- Sie widmet dem Projekt viel Zeit. — “She devotes a lot of time to the project.”

The verb often suggests a serious, purposeful, or appreciative commitment.

Grammar & Word origin

Verb type: weak, separable? No, inseparable verb
Infinitive: widmen
Third-person singular present: er/sie widmet
Simple past: er/sie widmete
Past participle: gewidmet
Auxiliary verb: haben

Important grammatical patterns:

jemandem etwas widmen — to dedicate something to someone
The person is in the dative, and the thing dedicated is in the accusative.
sich einer Sache widmen — to devote oneself to something
The object is in the dative.

The related noun is die Widmung , meaning “dedication.” Historically, widmen is connected with the older noun Wid(e)m , referring to an endowment or property given to a church. Its original sense was therefore associated with giving something for a sacred purpose.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

weihen — to consecrate or dedicate; more solemn, religious, or ceremonial than widmen
zueignen — to dedicate or assign something to someone; often literary and commonly used for artistic works
sich hingeben — to devote oneself wholeheartedly; emphasizes personal commitment or self-sacrifice
sich einer Sache annehmen — to take care of or attend to something; less ceremonial and more practical than sich widmen
investieren — to invest time, effort, or resources; emphasizes expenditure rather than dedication

Antonyms

There is no single exact antonym in every context. Depending on the meaning, possible opposites include:

vernachlässigen — to neglect; the clearest opposite when something does not receive the necessary time or attention
ignorieren — to ignore; stronger emphasis on deliberately paying no attention
sich abwenden von — to turn away from; emphasizes withdrawal rather than simple lack of attention
entziehen — to withdraw or take away; can be an opposite when time, support, or attention is deliberately removed

Common phrases & collocations

jemandem ein Buch widmen — to dedicate a book to someone
jemandem ein Lied widmen — to dedicate a song to someone
sich einer Aufgabe widmen — to devote oneself to a task
sich einer Sache widmen — to devote oneself to a matter or subject
seine Aufmerksamkeit einer Sache widmen — to devote one’s attention to something
viel Zeit einer Sache widmen — to devote a lot of time to something
jemandem seinen Erfolg widmen — to dedicate one’s success to someone
Dieses Werk ist … gewidmet — “This work is dedicated to …”