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• offer
  offer

  verb (used with object)

  to present for acceptance or rejection; proffer.
• Offer
  Offer

  acronym

  Office of Electricity Regulation: merged with Ofgas in 1999 to form Ofgem

offer

American  

[aw-fer, of-er] / ˈɔ fər, ˈɒf ər /

verb (used with object)

• offers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• offered,
  past participle,  past
• offering
  present participle

1. to present for acceptance or rejection; proffer.

   He offered me a cigarette.

   Antonyms:

   withhold, withdraw

2. to propose or put forward for consideration.

   to offer a suggestion.

   Synonyms:

   propose, move, give

3. to propose or volunteer (to do something).

   She offered to accompany me.

4. to make a show of intention (to do something).

   We did not offer to go first.

5. to give, make, or promise.

   She offered no response.

6. to present solemnly as an act of worship or devotion, as to God, a deity or a saint; sacrifice.

7. to present for sale.

   He offered the painting to me at a reduced price.

8. to tender or bid as a price.

   to offer ten dollars for a radio.

9. to attempt or threaten to do, engage in, or inflict.

   to offer battle.

10. to put forth; exert.

    to offer resistance.

11. to present to sight or notice.

12. to introduce or present for exhibition or performance.

13. to render (homage, thanks, etc.).

14. to present or volunteer (oneself ) to someone as a spouse.

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verb (used without object)

• offers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• offered,
  past participle,  past
• offering
  present participle

1. to present itself; occur.

   Whenever an opportunity offered, he slipped off to town.

2. to present something as an act of worship or devotion; sacrifice.

3. to make a proposal or suggestion.

4. to suggest oneself to someone for marriage; propose.

5. Archaic. to make an attempt (followed byat ).

noun

• offers
  plural

1. an act or instance of offering.

   an offer of help.

   Antonyms:

   denial, refusal

2. the condition of being offered.

   an offer for sale.

3. something offered.

4. a proposal or bid to give or pay something as the price of something else; bid.

   an offer of $90,000 for the house.

5. Law. a proposal that requires only acceptance in order to create a contract.

6. an attempt or endeavor.

7. a show of intention.

8. a proposal of marriage.

offer ¹ British  

/ ˈɒfə /

verb

1. to present or proffer (something, someone, oneself, etc) for acceptance or rejection

2. (tr) to present as part of a requirement

   she offered English as a second subject

3. (tr) to provide or make accessible

   this stream offers the best fishing

4. (intr) to present itself

   if an opportunity should offer

5. (tr) to show or express willingness or the intention (to do something)

6. (tr) to put forward (a proposal, opinion, etc) for consideration

7. (tr) to present for sale

8. (tr) to propose as payment; bid or tender

9. to present (a prayer, sacrifice, etc) as or during an act of worship

10. (tr) to show readiness for

    to offer battle

11. archaic (intr) to make a proposal of marriage

12. (tr; sometimes foll by up or to) engineering to bring (a mechanical piece) near to or in contact with another, and often to proceed to fit the pieces together

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noun

1. something, such as a proposal or bid, that is offered

2. the act of offering or the condition of being offered

3. contract law a proposal made by one person that will create a binding contract if accepted unconditionally by the person to whom it is made See also acceptance

4. a proposal of marriage

5. short for offer price

6. for sale at a reduced price

Offer ² British  

/ ˈɒfə /

acronym

1. Office of Electricity Regulation: merged with Ofgas in 1999 to form Ofgem

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Synonym Usage

Offer, proffer, tender mean to present for acceptance or refusal. Offer is a common word in general use for presenting something to be accepted or rejected: to offer assistance. Proffer, with the same meaning, is now chiefly a literary word: to proffer one's services. Tender (no longer used in reference to concrete objects) is a ceremonious term for a more or less formal or conventional act: to tender one's resignation.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonoffer
  noun
• offerer
  noun
• offeror
  noun
• preoffer
  noun
• reoffer
  verb
• offerable
  adjective
• self-offered
  adjective
• unoffered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• offers
  plural

Participles

• offering
  present
• offered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• offer
  simple
• offers
  simple
• have offered
  perfect
• has offered
  perfect
• am offering
  progressive
• are offering
  progressive
• is offering
  progressive
• have been offering
  perfect progressive
• has been offering
  perfect progressive

Past

• offered
  simple
• had offered
  perfect
• was offering
  progressive
• were offering
  progressive
• had been offering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will offer
  simple
• will have offered
  perfect
• will be offering
  progressive
• will have been offering
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of offer

First recorded before 900; Middle English offren, Old English offrian “to present in worship,” from Latin offerre, equivalent to of- of- + ferre “to bring”; see bear ¹

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Explanation

You make an offer when you present your willingness to do something. People selling a house wait for the best offer. One person offers something, and another person accepts or rejects it. It's polite to offer guests something to drink and to offer a friend some space under your umbrella. A marriage proposal is a type of offer. A threat of violence is "an offer you can't refuse" in The Godfather. This word can mean a religious act as well, or — more grossly — the kind of offering a cat makes when it offers a dead mouse to its owner.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

offer Offer offers offered offering

The results highlight the extraordinary precision of the telescope's design and offer a promising outlook for its upcoming investigations into the hidden structure and evolution of the universe.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026

The animal charity's Medway West branch has launched to offer cut-price care for the pets of people on low incomes or receiving benefits.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

But UC Santa Cruz oceanographer and geologist Gary Griggs, who has seen the thrashing of that row of homes in previous years, is not going to make an offer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

It’s no doubt a concession to the intensifying public narrative that no one likes what Netflix has to offer these days.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

“You came to my room to offer to buy me breakfast?”

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Listed with David Offer of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the property centers around a stunning great room that features wraparound windows and opens up into a “cook’s kitchen,” a dining area, and a family room.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

Appeared in the May 2, 2026, print edition as 'China’s ‘Teapot’ Refiners Offer Financial Lifeline to Iran'.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

Offer to look over and send out her résumé.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 25, 2026

Offer a few predictable options, normalise different preferences, and don't turn food into a moral issue.

From BBC ● Dec. 21, 2025

Offer it each phantom crumb and shield it from harm with your body.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

The new method offers a way to distinguish conditions at different latitudes, as well as between the day and night sides of a planet.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

And Dieffenbach, who was racking up college offers, was left with a depleted roster and a grim senior season outlook.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Moreover, the framework offers no blanket opt-out, meaning companies will have to monitor and object to every trading venue individually.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Taking in villages and towns surrounding Exmoor National Park, the event offers walks, talks and shows - putting the dark, clear, night sky into full focus.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The driver strikes a match and offers me its faint yellow light.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

For Atlanta, Reese’s sudden availability offered a chance to buy low on a two-time All Star whose tenacious defense and relentless rebounding could put them over the top.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Authorities have not yet offered details regarding motive or any connection to the school.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

The added signal offered another potentially important advantage.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

The guidance also says staff facilities should be used by people based on their biological sex, while trusts should ensure enough alternatives to single-sex facilities, such as single-occupancy toilets, are offered.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

I too offered to help with the family business.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Menopause Matters also holds a monthly cafe-style drop-in in Barrow-in-Furness, offering women the opportunity to meet up in an informal environment.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

China’s monthly batch of economic activity data is due Monday, offering the latest look at consumer demand, investment and industrial production.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

USC rejected the compact last October — about two weeks after its offering.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

SpaceX’s stock has mostly stabilized following a few months of turbulence in the aftermath of its initial public offering, and the company is due to report third-quarter earnings next week.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

“I know that you showed up offering money we didn’t ask for to pay for a son we can’t get back.”

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

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Related Words

• afford
• allow
• award
• display
• donate
• extend
• give
• grant
• provide
• show
• submit
• suggest

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