bid
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to offer a certain amount of money for something, especially at an auction.
v.to offer a specific price for an item or service, particularly in a competitive auction or tendering process.
Simple“Several collectors started to bid for the rare painting as soon as the auction began.”
In context“The construction firm decided to bid for the government contract despite the strict environmental requirements and tight profit margins.”
UsageThe past tense is 'bid' in financial contexts, but 'bade' in literary contexts.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to say a greeting or a goodbye to someone.
v.to utter or express a greeting, farewell, or salutation.
Simple“He bade his friends farewell before boarding the train for his long journey.”
In context“The host bade his guests a pleasant evening, standing by the mahogany doors as the last of the carriages departed.”
UsageOften uses the past tense 'bade'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to tell someone to do something.
v.to issue a command or instruction to someone.
Simple“The queen bade the messenger wait in the hall until the letter was finished.”
In context“The general bade his troops remain silent as they approached the enemy's perimeter under the cover of darkness.”
UsageUsually followed by an object and an infinitive without 'to'.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an offer to pay a particular amount of money for something.
n.an offer of a price, especially at an auction or as part of a business proposal.
Simple“The highest bid for the old car was much lower than the owner expected.”
In context“The company submitted a competitive bid for the infrastructure project, highlighting their previous experience with large-scale urban developments.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an attempt to achieve or get something.
n.an attempt or effort to achieve a specific goal or win a position of power.
Simple“The athlete failed in her bid to win a third gold medal.”
In context“The senator launched a bold bid for the presidency, focusing his campaign on economic reform and healthcare accessibility.”
- 06 C2 Proficiency
n.a period of time spent in prison.
n.a term of imprisonment.
Simple“He just finished a five-year bid and is looking for a fresh start.”
In context“After serving a ten-year bid for armed robbery, he found it difficult to reintegrate into a society that had changed significantly.”
Usage bid to become
“Rodri looks set to complete a move to Barcelona after Manchester City accepted a bid of £65.4m from the Spanish club.”
“A £120million (€140 million) price tag was placed on him but, despite interest from Manchester City, no bids were received, and Chelsea consider the matter of his future closed.”
From Latin bis in diē.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.