bid

[ bid ]

verb (used with object),bade or (Archaic) bad for 1, 2, 5 or bid for 3, 4; bid·den or bid for 1, 2, 5 or bid for 3, 4; bid·ding.

to command; order; direct: to bid them depart.
to express (a greeting, farewell, benediction, or wish): to bid good night.

Commerce. to offer (a certain sum) as the price one will pay or charge: They bid $25,000 and got the contract.
Cards. to enter a bid of (a given quantity or suit): to bid two no-trump.
to summon by invitation; invite.

verb (used without object),bade or (Archaic) bad for 6 or bid for 7; bid·den or bid for 6 or bid for 7; bid·ding.

to command; order; direct: I will do as you bid.
to make a bid: She bid at the auction for the old chair.

noun

an act or instance of bidding.
Cards.
- an offer to make a specified number of points or to take a specified number of tricks.
- the amount of such an offer.
- the turn of a person to bid.

an invitation: a bid to join the club.
an attempt to attain some goal or purpose: a bid for election.
Also called bid price. Stock Exchange. the highest price a prospective buyer is willing to pay for a security at a given moment.

Verb Phrasespast and past participle bid,present participle bid·ding.

bid in, Commerce. to overbid all offers for (property) at an auction in order to retain ownership.
bid up, Commerce. to increase the market price of by increasing bids.

Idioms about bid

past bade or (Archaic) bad,past participle bid·den or bid,present participle bid·ding.

bid fair. fair¹ (def. 29).

Origin of bid

before 900; Middle English bidden,Old English biddan to beg, ask; cognate with Old Frisian bidda,Old Saxon biddian,Old High German bittan (German bitten), Old Norse bithja,Gothic bidjan; all <Germanic *bid-ja- (<Indo-European *bhidh-) command, akin to Greek peíthein to persuade, inspire with trust, English bide

Other words for bid

1	charge; require, enjoin
3	offer, tender, proffer
8	offer, proposal; proffer

See synonyms for bid on Thesaurus.com

Other words from bid

bid·der, noun

Words that may be confused with bid

bidder , bitter

Words Nearby bid

Other definitions for bid (2 of 4)

bid²

[ bid ]

verbArchaic.

past participle of bide.

Other definitions for b.i.d. (3 of 4)

b.i.d.

abbreviation

(in prescriptions) twice a day.

Origin of b.i.d.

From Latin bis in diē

Other definitions for B.I.D. (4 of 4)

B.I.D.

abbreviation

Bachelor of Industrial Design.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bid in a sentence

Earlier this week, Huckabee ended his Fox News talk show so he could spend time mulling another bid for the Republican nomination.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner! | Olivia Nuzzi | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
He lost his bid for a fourth term to George Pataki that year.
President Cuomo Would’ve Been a Lion | Jonathan Alter | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Get ready to bid farewell to the spitfire Bobby Bottleservice and big booty player Ref Jeff.
The Zany Shades of Nick Kroll | Abby Haglage | December 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Another crowd moved west in an apparent bid to block the Holland Tunnel.
Eric Garner Protests: ‘It’s Like Vietnam’ | Abby Haglage, Caitlin Dickson, Jacob Siegel, Chris Allbritton | December 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Sen. Mary Landrieu did everything she could Monday night to salvage the shards of her bid for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate.
Democrats Leave Senator Landrieu for Dead | Patricia Murphy | December 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

Here were the sources (in part) of the Po and of the Rhine, but I was rather in haste to bid the former good-bye.
Glances at Europe | Horace Greeley
Nor shall we do more hereafter if you do my pleasure now and give this Monsieur de Garnache the answer that I bid you.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
Nor can he sell the property to himself, nor authorize any other person to bid and purchase for him either directly or indirectly.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman | Albert Sidney Bolles
The clerk went as he was bid, but stupified and stunned by the information he had received.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV. | Various
You had better go to him, Dolly, and bid him good bye, before he takes the team to the field.
The World Before Them | Susanna Moodie

British Dictionary definitions for bid (1 of 2)

bid

/ (bɪd) /

verbbids, bidding, bad, bade, esp for senses 1, 2, 5, 7 bid, bidden or esp for senses 1, 2, 5, 7 bid

(often foll by for or against) to offer (an amount) in attempting to buy something, esp in competition with others as at an auction
commerce to respond to an offer by a seller by stating (the more favourable terms) on which one is willing to make a purchase

(tr) to say (a greeting, blessing, etc): to bid farewell
to order; command: do as you are bid!
(intr usually foll by for) to attempt to attain power, etc
(tr) to invite; ask kindly: she bade him sit down
bridge to declare in the auction before play how many tricks one expects to make
bid defiance to resist boldly
bid fair to seem probable

noun

- an offer of a specified amount, as at an auction
- the price offered
commerce
- a statement by a buyer, in response to an offer by a seller, of the more favourable terms that would be acceptable
- the price or other terms so stated

an attempt, esp an attempt to attain power
bridge
- the number of tricks a player undertakes to make
- a player's turn to make a bid
short for bid price

Origin of bid

Old English biddan; related to German bitten

See also bid in, bid up

Derived forms of bid

bidder, noun

British Dictionary definitions for b.i.d. (2 of 2)

b.i.d.

abbreviation for(in prescriptions)

bis in die

Origin of b.i.d.

Latin: twice a day

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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