Word
bide
US/ˈbaɪd/
UK/bˈaɪd/
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
bide
Past
bode
Past participle
bided
Definition
v. to wait patiently for the right moment to do something. You mostly see it in the phrase 'bide your time'.
v. to remain in patient waiting for a suitable moment or opportunity, almost always in the collocation 'bide one's time'.
Examples
“She decides to bide her time before answering.”
“After losing the first round, the boxer bides his time, waiting for his opponent to tire in the later rounds.”
“Rather than forcing a decision during the crisis, the committee chose to bide its time until clearer information emerged about the market.”
Examples
simple
“She decides to bide her time before answering.”
contextual
“After losing the first round, the boxer bides his time, waiting for his opponent to tire in the later rounds.”
complex
“Rather than forcing a decision during the crisis, the committee chose to bide its time until clearer information emerged about the market.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “bide” in context.
Verb
01. bide time
“He decided to bide time before asking for a pay rise.”
verb + noun
02. bide time before acting
“They bided their time before acting on the job offer.”
03. bide time patiently
“She bided her time patiently while waiting for a promotion.”
04. bide your time
“Wise investors bide their time until stock prices fall.”
05. content to bide time
“He seemed content to bide his time in the deputy role.”
Usage
Occurs almost exclusively in the phrase 'bide one's time' with a possessive pronoun.
Real-World Examples
“City found themselves stuck in a lull, unable to prise open Ipswich, instead having to bide their time.” Etymology
From Middle English biden, from Old English bīdan (“to stay, continue, live, remain, delay; wait for, await, expect; endure, experience, find; attain, obtain; own”), from Proto-West Germanic bīdan (“to wait”), from Proto-Germanic bīdaną (“to wait”), from Proto-Indo-European bʰéydʰeti, from bʰeydʰ- (“to command, persuade, compel, trust”). Latinate cognates (via PIE) include faith and fidelity. Cognates Cognate with Scots bide (“to dwell, to live; to stay”), Alemannic German beite (“to wait”), Cimbrian paiten (“to wait”), Dutch beiden (“to wait”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål bie (“to stay, to wait”), Faroese, Icelandic bíða (“to wait”), Norwegian Nynorsk bide, bie (“to wait”), Swedish bida (“to await, to bide”), Gothic 𐌱𐌴𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌽 (beidan, “to wait”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
Idioms
01. bide one's time
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/bide