bide

American  

[bahyd] / baɪd /

verb (used with object)

bided, bode, bided, bid, biding

1. Archaic. to endure; bear.

2. Obsolete. to encounter.

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verb (used without object)

bided, bode, bided, bid, biding

1. to dwell; abide; wait; remain.

   Synonyms:

   tarry, linger, stay

idioms

1. bide one's time, to wait for a favorable opportunity.

   He wanted to ask for a raise, but bided his time.

bide British  

/ baɪd /

verb

1. archaic (intr) to continue in a certain place or state; stay

2. archaic (intr) to live; dwell

3. archaic (tr) to tolerate; endure

4. to stay a little

5. to abide by

6. to wait patiently for an opportunity

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Other Word Forms

• bider noun

Etymology

Origin of bide

before 900; Middle English biden, Old English bīdan; cognate with Old Frisian bīdia, Old Saxon bīdan, Old High German bītan, Old Norse bītha, Gothic beidan, Latin fīdere, Greek peíthesthai to trust, rely < Indo-European *bheidh-; the meaning apparently developed: have trust > endure > wait > abide > remain

Explanation

When you bide, you remain somewhere. You'd be wise to bide a while inside and wait for the rain to stop before you leave! The verb bide is extremely old-fashioned, but you may be familiar with it from expressions like "bide your time" and businesses named "Bide-a-Wee." It comes from the Old English bidan, "to stay, continue, or remain." When you bide your time, you wait until a good opportunity comes up: "I'll bide my time until I find the perfect rescue dog." As for "bide-a-wee," that's a Scottish phrase meaning "stay a while."

Example Sentences

Investors may bide their time until there are more concrete details about SpaceX’s financials.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

De Zerbi may prefer to bide his time and sit tight as opposed to taking on a salvage operation.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

“I have everything prepped for the price raise, but I haven’t implemented it because I’m still trying to bide my time to see what happens,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

She said the lieutenant governor’s role is typically a sleepy perch for politicians as they bide their time to run for higher office.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026

I was a sbeep, and then I was a mouse, I couldn’t do anything but bide.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• dwell
• sit tight
• stick around