Past Tense of Feed
“Feed” is an irregular verb. Its simple past and past participle are both “fed,” so the same form works in “I fed them yesterday” and “I have fed them already.”
The past tense of “feed” is “fed,” and the past participle is also “fed”: feed → fed → fed.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| completed past action | fed | Use “fed” as the simple past. |
| perfect construction after have/has/had | fed | Use “fed” as the past participle. |
| present/base form | feed / feeds | Use the present form when the sentence is not past. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Do you need a past form of “feed”?
If yes: Use “fed” for both simple past and past participle.
If no: Use “feed” or “feeds” when the grammar calls for the present form.
Examples
We fed the birds before sunrise.
“Fed” is the simple past.
I have fed the dog already.
“Fed” is the past participle after “have.”
She feeds the cat every morning.
The habitual present uses “feeds.”
Further guidance
Core difference
Simple past: “fed.” Past participle: “fed.”
Fast Test
Use “fed” for a finished past event and after perfect auxiliaries such as “has,” “have,” or “had.”
Usage Boundary
Do not form the ordinary past as “feeded”; the dictionary records “fed” for both past forms.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Feed — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct dictionary evidence that “feed” is irregular with simple past and past participle “fed.”