Meet is a verb meaning to come into the presence or company of someone, or to encounter or satisfy a requirement or condition. It can describe arranging a gathering, facing someone in person, or fulfilling criteria. The word often appears in everyday conversation as a simple action, as in arranging to meet friends or meeting a deadline.
"Let's meet at the cafe after work to discuss the project."
"I hope this plan meets all the safety requirements before we proceed."
"We finally met the deadline after weeks of hard work."
"She met him by chance at the conference and they talked for hours."
Meet comes from the Old English word metan, meaning to encounter or come upon, from the Proto-Germanic *mitaną, which also relates to the verb ‘to measure’ or ‘to measure out,’ reflecting the sense of coming together or aligning with someone. Early English usage often implied coming into contact with someone or something, including meetings with people, expectations, or gates—an encounter as in meeting someone in person. By the Middle English period, meet carried the sense of coming together for a purpose, and during the 15th–17th centuries it extended to more abstract senses like satisfying conditions or requirements. The pronunciation shift to the modern long “ee” sound in many dialects solidified by the Great Vowel Shift, but regional variations persisted (e.g., the vowel length and quality in some accents). Today, meet is used both literally (to encounter someone) and figuratively (to fulfill criteria or expectations), preserving the sense of convergence or alignment between people, objects, or goals. The word’s short, monosyllabic structure contributes to its high frequency in everyday speech, cross-linguistic loanwords, and idiomatic expressions such as “meet halfway” or “meet the bill.”
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Meet" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Meet" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Meet"
-eat sounds
-eet sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Meet is pronounced with a long 'ee' vowel as /miːt/ in US/UK/AU. The mouth starts with a high front tongue position, lips spread slightly, with a tense, extended /iː/ vowel and a final voiceless /t/. In connected speech, the /t/ may be lightly released or even assimilate, but the essential form remains /miːt/. You’ll articulate one smooth, even vowel and a crisp, brief /t/ at the end. Audio references like reputable pronunciation sources can help hear the precise length and quality of /iː/.
Common errors include shortening the vowel to a lax /ɪ/ as in ‘met,’ which makes it sound like ‘met’ rather than ‘meet,’ and over-voicing or delaying the /t/ so the word sounds like ‘meat’ or ‘meat-uh’ in fast speech. Correct by ensuring a tense, long /iː/ and a crisp, released /t/. Keep the tongue high and forward for /iː/ and finish with a light, sharp /t/ without adding extra syllables.
In US, UK, and AU, /miːt/ is broadly similar with the long /iː/ vowel, but features vary: US tends to maintain a clearer /iː/ with a rounded or less spread lip position in some speakers; UK may have slightly tenser tongue and more precise mouth shape due to RP influence; AU often shows a slightly more centralized vowel quality but generally remains /miːt/. The /t/ is generally crisp in all, though some Australian accents display a soft‑enunciated or glottalized final consonant in casual speech.
The difficulty lies mainly in maintaining a stable, high, close front vowel /iː/ in rapid speech while terminating with a crisp /t/. Non-native speakers often reduce /iː/ to /ɪ/ or insert extra vowel sounds, creating ‘met’ or ‘meet-uh.’ At the phonetic edge, the position of the tongue and lips must stay compact and forward; the final /t/ can be unreleased in casual speech, muddying the distinction from ‘meat’ in quick phrases.
A unique tip: practice a quick, controlled mouth gesture where you maintain a tight jaw with the tongue raised to the hard palate during /iː/, then snap the tongue down to release a clean /t/ as you exhale. In practice, say ‘meet a friend’ as a linked phrase, focusing on a steady /miːt/ rather than slowing down for the /t/. This keeps your word distinct in fast dialogue and reduces mixing with nearby words.
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