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bribe

What is the opposite of bribe? Here is what we hold, with its meaning and related words.

Noun — Money or a favor given to someone to influence their decision dishonestly.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

Money or a favor given to someone to influence their decision dishonestly.

“The official was caught accepting a bribe from a contractor.”

backhander bung coffee money cold drink money dash douceur inducement kopi money pay-off payola subornation sweetener tea money

2. verb

To offer someone money or a favor to influence them dishonestly.

“They tried to bribe the inspector to overlook the violations.”

How to use bribe

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

accept a bribe offer a bribe bribe an official

Etymology

From Old French briber, "to beg", originally describing money given to a beggar — the meaning later shifted to a corrupt payment for favors.

Full origin of bribe →

Frequently asked questions

What does “bribe” mean?
The word “bribe” means money or a favor given to someone to influence their decision dishonestly. In plain terms, a dishonest payment (or the act of offering one) to get someone to do something they shouldn't.
How do you pronounce “bribe”?
“Bribe” is pronounced bryb (/bɹaɪb/ in IPA).
How do you use “bribe” in a sentence?
Here is “bribe” used in a sentence: “The official was caught accepting a bribe from a contractor.”
What is another word for “bribe”?
Words with a similar meaning to “bribe” include backhander, bung, coffee money, cold drink money, dash and douceur.
What part of speech is “bribe”?
Depending on how it is used, “bribe” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “bribe” come from?
The word “bribe” comes from Old French. From Old French briber, "to beg", originally describing money given to a beggar — the meaning later shifted to a corrupt payment for favors.
Is “bribe” a common word?
“Bribe” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
How many meanings does “bribe” have?
“Bribe” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: money or a favor given to someone to influence their decision dishonestly.

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.