bait

American  

[beyt] / beɪt /

noun

1. food, or some substitute, used as a lure in fishing, trapping, etc.

2. a poisoned lure used in exterminating pests.

3. an allurement; enticement.

   Employees were lured with the bait of annual bonuses.

4. an object for pulling molten or liquefied material, as glass, from a vat or the like by adhesion.

5. South Midland and Southern U.S.

   1. a large or sufficient quantity or amount.

      He fetched a good bait of wood.

   2. an excessive quantity or amount.

6. British Slang. food.

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verb (used with object)

baits, present (3rd person singular) baited, past participle, past baiting present participle

1. to prepare (a hook or trap) with bait.

2. to entice by deception or trickery so as to entrap or destroy.

   using fake signal lights to bait the ships onto the rocks.

3. to attract, tempt, or captivate.

4. to set dogs upon (an animal) for sport.

5. to worry, torment, or persecute, especially with malicious remarks.

   a nasty habit of baiting defenseless subordinates.

   Synonyms:

   pester, heckle, badger

6. to tease.

   They love to bait him about his gaudy ties.

7. to feed and water (a horse or other animal), especially during a journey.

verb (used without object)

Archaic.

baits, present (3rd person singular) baited, past participle, past baiting present participle

1. to stop for food or refreshment during a journey.

2. (of a horse or other animal) to take food; feed.

bait ¹ British  

/ beɪt /

noun

1. something edible, such as soft bread paste, worms, or pieces of meat, fixed to a hook or in a trap to attract fish or animals

2. an enticement; temptation

3. a variant spelling of bate 4

4. dialect food, esp a packed lunch

5. archaic a short stop for refreshment during a journey

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verb

1. (tr) to put a piece of food on or in (a hook or trap)

2. (tr) to persecute or tease

3. (tr) to entice; tempt

4. (tr) to set dogs upon (a bear, etc)

5. archaic (tr) to feed (a horse), esp during a break in a journey

6. archaic (intr) to stop for rest and refreshment during a journey

bait ² British  

/ beɪt /

verb

1. a variant spelling of bate 2

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bait Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bait

• fish or cut bait
• jump at (the bait)
• rise to the bait

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Usage

The phrase with bated breath is sometimes wrongly spelled with baited breath

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• baiter
  noun
• overbait
  verb (used with object)
• rebait
  verb (used with object)
• unbait
  verb (used with object)

Inflected Forms

Participles

• baiting
  present
• baited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bait
  simple
• baits
  simple
• have baited
  perfect
• has baited
  perfect
• am baiting
  progressive
• are baiting
  progressive
• is baiting
  progressive
• have been baiting
  perfect progressive
• has been baiting
  perfect progressive

Past

• baited
  simple
• had baited
  perfect
• was baiting
  progressive
• were baiting
  progressive
• had been baiting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bait
  simple
• will have baited
  perfect
• will be baiting
  progressive
• will have been baiting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bait

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bait, beit (noun), baiten (verb), from Old Norse, probably reflecting both beita “to pasture, hunt, chase with dogs or hawks” (ultimately causative of bíta “to bite”) and beita “fish bait”; cf. bite, bate ³

Explanation

People who go fishing aren’t the only ones to use bait. When you hold a yard sale, place your best stuff closest to the sidewalk — to serve as bait. Bait can be anything from the worms that hide a hook to a stereo that tempts shoppers to stop and browse. Bait can also mean the act of getting someone or something to do what you want. For generations, students have baited their teachers into wasting class time with a question about a personal interest or obsession: “This talk about integers is very fascinating, Mr. Green, but what do you think about last night’s Penguins game?” Bait comes from the Old Norse, word beita — “to cause to bite.” Asking Mr. Green what other Viking words he knows might be interesting, and provide bait for his next off-topic musing.

Example Sentences

Air Supply’s “Making Love Out of Nothing at All,” which Steinman had written for the feathery soft-rock duo as a bit of consumer bait on its first greatest-hits collection.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2026

England flourished against Croatia because Zlatko Dalic's side took the bait and pressed from the front.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

Several analysts say at least one issue that France has put on the table for discussion may bait Trump's interest: trade relations with China.

From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026

The uptick in digital heteropessimism Taylor references exists largely thanks to algorithm-driven platforms where gendered trash-talking of any kind is pure, uncut engagement bait.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

But anything works—video games, my locker combination, bait.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• harass
• irk
• tease
• torment