bidding

American  

[bid-ing] / ˈbɪd ɪŋ /

noun

biddings plural

1. command; summons; invitation.

   I went there at his bidding.

2. bids collectively, or a period during which bids are made or received.

   The bidding began furiously.

3. a bid.

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idioms

1. do someone's bidding, to submit to someone's orders; perform services for someone.

   After he was promoted to vice president at the bank, he expected everyone around him to do his bidding.

bidding British  

/ ˈbɪdɪŋ /

noun

1. an order; command (often in the phrases do or follow the bidding of , at someone's bidding )

2. an invitation; summons

3. the act of making bids, as at an auction or in bridge

4. bridge a group of bids considered collectively, esp those made on a particular deal

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• biddings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bidding

Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; see origin at bid ¹, -ing ¹

Explanation

A person's bidding is what he or she tells you to do for them. You do your brother's bidding when he asks you to bring him his shoes and you comply. Doing your boss's bidding is usually part of a job description, although doing your cousin's or boyfriend's bidding usually isn't required — at least, it shouldn't be. When you are invited to eat at a friend's house, you might have to watch a slide show from his trip to Hawaii after dinner at his bidding. Bidding stems from the verb bid, with its Old English root of biddan, "ask, entreat, beseech, or order."

Example Sentences

The decision was taken by the festival's board of directors after "an extensive consultation and competitive bidding process" was launched last year.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

Of the two auctions, the 20-year sale may garner more bidding interest from institutional investors as the JGBs are likely to offer relatively high yields.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

Still, when Victor Montagliani, a former Canadian Soccer Assn. president, first publicly floated the idea of bidding to host the men’s World Cup in 2013, he was lampooned.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026

Larry Ellison's financial guarantee was what finally won over the Warner Bros. board, sealing Paramount's victory in a bruising bidding war with Netflix.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

I’d saunter downstairs and make myself so useful Shady couldn’t possibly see fit to allow me to walk out the door, let alone to do someone else’s bidding.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

Related Words

• auction
• tender