Throwed
In Southern and Appalachian speech, "Throwed" is the dialectal past tense of "throw," used instead of the standard "threw."
Hillbilly Dude Says...
You’ll hear "Throwed" in Southern and Appalachian speech as a nonstandard past tense of "throw" - for example, "He throwed that ball clean across the yard." Hillbilly Dude Says...
You’ll hear "Throwed" in Southern and Appalachian speech as a nonstandard past tense of "throw" - for example, "He throwed that ball clean across the yard." Pronunciation
[THROWD] /θroʊd/
Meaning & Usage
- Dialect past tense of "throw" (verb)
Billy:
Where’s the rock?
Where’s the rock?
Ray:
I throwed it in the creek.
I throwed it in the creek.variations: Threw (standard form), Growed (past of Grow), Knowed (past of Know)
★ "Throwed" follows an older English pattern of adding "-ed" to form the past tense. Similar forms like "growed" and "knowed" survive in Southern/Appalachian speech as markers of local color and informality. ★
Origin and Etymology
This past tense pattern dates back to older English and Scots-Irish speech. Settlers carried it to Appalachia and the rural South, where it persisted as part of everyday talk.
Usage Notes
Still heard in rural Southern/Appalachian areas and among speakers who use dialect forms intentionally for humor or authenticity. Outside the region "throwed" is understood but considered nonstandard English.
Say It Like a Southerner
Say it natural: "throwed" - rhymes with "road," often said with a soft "th": "thro’d."