bide

American  

[bahyd] / baɪd /

verb (used with object)

bided, bode, bided, bid, biding

1. Archaic. to endure; bear.

2. Obsolete. to encounter.

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verb (used without object)

bided, bode, bided, bid, biding

1. to dwell; abide; wait; remain.

   Synonyms:

   tarry, linger, stay

idioms

1. bide one's time, to wait for a favorable opportunity.

   He wanted to ask for a raise, but bided his time.

bide British  

/ baɪd /

verb

1. archaic (intr) to continue in a certain place or state; stay

2. archaic (intr) to live; dwell

3. archaic (tr) to tolerate; endure

4. to stay a little

5. to abide by

6. to wait patiently for an opportunity

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Other Word Forms

• bider noun

Etymology

Origin of bide

before 900; Middle English biden, Old English bīdan; cognate with Old Frisian bīdia, Old Saxon bīdan, Old High German bītan, Old Norse bītha, Gothic beidan, Latin fīdere, Greek peíthesthai to trust, rely < Indo-European *bheidh-; the meaning apparently developed: have trust > endure > wait > abide > remain

Explanation

When you bide, you remain somewhere. You'd be wise to bide a while inside and wait for the rain to stop before you leave! The verb bide is extremely old-fashioned, but you may be familiar with it from expressions like "bide your time" and businesses named "Bide-a-Wee." It comes from the Old English bidan, "to stay, continue, or remain." When you bide your time, you wait until a good opportunity comes up: "I'll bide my time until I find the perfect rescue dog." As for "bide-a-wee," that's a Scottish phrase meaning "stay a while."

Example Sentences

Investors may bide their time until there are more concrete details about SpaceX’s financials.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“More than anything, these people know how to bide their time and resist,” said Zair Mundaray, a former Venezuelan prosecutor who fled the country in 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

The message to her is that if there isn’t anything good out there to buy, investors should just sit tight and be patient— such as bide time in T-bills.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 19, 2025

“With all the shortstops out there, he is just going to have to bide his time,” Washington said of Neto.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2025

I know I’m being watched, so I bide my time.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Related Words

• dwell
• sit tight
• stick around