verb

BID

bihd

verb

To offer a specific amount of money for something, especially at an auction.

"She bid two hundred dollars for the vintage lamp."

"Several contractors bid on the renovation project."

noun

An offer of a price, or a formal offer to carry out a piece of work.

"Their bid for the contract came in lower than the competitors'."

An attempt or effort to achieve something.

"It was his last bid for the championship title."

How to Use BID

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn offer of a price, or more broadly, an attempt to win or achieve something.

Common pairings

place a bid winning bid bid for power a bid to succeed

Word Forms

bid past tense, bade past tense, bad past tense, bidden past tense, bid past tense, bids plural, bids singular, bids singular

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She _____ two hundred dollars for the vintage lamp.

Etymology

Merges two old English verbs — one meaning "to command or ask" (as in "bid you welcome") and one meaning "to offer a price" — which is why "bid" today covers both greeting/commanding and auction senses.

Rhymes for BID

rabid forbid outbid morbid

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