# bait

/ˈbeɪt/ (US) · /bˈeɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bait
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. fishing/trapping

noun · CEFR B1

food or something similar used to catch fish or animals in a trap.

For teachers: a substance, typically food, used to allure fish or other animals to a hook, snare, or trap.

- He put a small piece of bread on the hook as bait for the fish.
- The fisherman experimented with various types of live bait to determine which would most effectively attract the deep-sea bass.

### 2. a trick or lure

noun · CEFR B2

something used to trick or persuade someone to do something.

For teachers: anything used to entice or allure a person into a specific course of action, often with a deceptive intent.

- The low price was just bait to get customers into the expensive store.
- The investigators used the promise of immunity as bait to encourage the witness to testify against the cartel leaders.

### 3. internet provocation

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

an online post or comment made specifically to make people angry or get a reaction.

For teachers: content deliberately designed to elicit a strong, often negative, emotional response from other users.

- Don't reply to his comment; it's clearly just bait to start an argument.
- The controversial tweet was dismissed by most users as obvious bait intended to boost engagement through outrage.

### 4. to prepare a trap

verb · CEFR B1

to put food on a hook or in a trap to catch an animal.

For teachers: to affix an enticement to a trap, hook, or line; also used for laying poisoned food for pest control.

- We need to bait the mousetrap with some cheese tonight.
- Before heading out to the lake, the children spent the morning learning how to bait their hooks without injuring themselves.

### 5. to tease or annoy

verb · CEFR B2

to intentionally annoy or upset someone by teasing them.

For teachers: to deliberately provoke, harass, or torment someone through persistent mockery or insults.

- The older boys used to bait him about his glasses until he cried.
- The defence attorney attempted to bait the witness into an angry outburst to undermine her credibility before the jury.

### 6. obvious

adjective · CEFR C1 · Slang · British English · Dialect

something that is very easy to see or notice.

For teachers: describing something that is blatant, obvious, or well-known within a specific social context.

- It was so bait that he was lying to the teacher.
- The suspect's attempt to hide the stolen goods was incredibly bait, as the bag was clearly overflowing in plain sight.

Teaching tip: This sense is specific to Multicultural London English (MLE) and is common among younger speakers in the UK; it is not used in standard American English.

## Examples

- He put a worm on the hook as bait.
- The shopkeeper offered a massive discount as bait to get customers into the store.
- While the initial offer served as effective bait for new investors, the lack of a long-term strategy eventually led to a sharp decline in market confidence.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.