bidding

American  

[bid-ing] / ˈbɪd ɪŋ /

noun

1. command; summons; invitation.

   I went there at his bidding.

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

   The bidding began furiously.

3. a bid. bide.

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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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Etymology

Origin of bidding

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

Example Sentences

Instead of blindly bidding up shares of just about every company making its Wall Street debut, there have been some big misses scattered among some successful debuts.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“Asian refiners, shut out of Middle Eastern supply, are bidding aggressively for every available Atlantic Basin barrel,” she says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Competing against streaming giant Netflix, Paramount Skydance prevailed in the bidding war for Warner Bros.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Oil refiners are also bidding more aggressively for crude as they try to boost production as markets around the world are hit by shortages of jet fuel and diesel, said Ole Hansen from Saxo Bank.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

As I fled, I saw my father, his arms held wide to block Edmund while he declared in a torrent of words that he was doing the king's bidding.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Related Words

• auction
• tender