What does dealt mean?
"Dealt" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "deal," one of English's most versatile verbs. Its oldest and most concrete sense is the distribution of cards in a game: the dealer dealt five cards to each player. From this idea of apportioning and handing out grew broader senses — dealing goods as a trader, dealing blows in combat or metaphorically delivering a severe setback, as in "the news dealt her a crushing blow." Today, however, the word most often appears in the phrase "dealt with," meaning to handle, manage, or take action on a situation, problem, or person: the manager dealt with the dispute promptly. The word is entirely neutral in register, fitting equally well into casual conversation and formal writing. It carries no inherent positive or negative connotation, though its figurative uses often accompany adversity. An old Germanic word, it connects historically to notions of sharing out what one has.
verb"Dealt" is the simple past tense and past participle of the verb "deal," meaning to distribute, especially cards in a game, or to handle or manage a situation, problem, or person.
- Past tense and past participle of "deal": to give out or distribute, especially cards in a game.
- To have handled, managed, or coped with a situation, task, or person (as in "dealt with").
- To have inflicted or delivered something, typically a blow, blow-like impact, or setback (as in "dealt a heavy blow").
"The committee dealt with the complaint swiftly and fairly."
"She dealt the cards quickly and confidently around the table."
"The government dealt firmly with the crisis, restoring public confidence within weeks."
When you dealt with a problem today, you were using a word that's over a thousand years old — it shares an ancient root with "deem" and even "doom."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dealt
"Deal" derives from Old English "dǣlan," meaning to divide, distribute, or share out, from the Proto-Germanic root *dailiz, meaning "part" or "share." This ancient root also produced Old English "dōm" (judgment), which gives us modern "deem" and "doom," reflecting the idea of dividing up or determining a share. Cognates appear across the Germanic languages, including Dutch "deel" (part) and German "Teil" (part). The past form "dealt" follows the regular Germanic pattern of strong verbs that change their vowel in the past tense.
Related word forms
How dealt is actually used
"Dealt" is the standard past tense and past participle of "deal" in both British and American English; the form "dealed" is nonstandard. It is most frequently used in the phrasal construction "dealt with," which is neutral in register and common in both formal and informal contexts. In card-playing contexts it is literal; elsewhere it is usually figurative.
Easily confused with dealt
"Dwelt" is the past tense of "dwell," meaning to live somewhere, whereas "dealt" is the past tense of "deal," meaning to distribute or handle.
"Deed" is a noun meaning an action or a legal document, while "dealt" is a verb form meaning distributed or handled.