bought

American  

[bawt] / bɔt /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of buy.

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adjective

1. South Midland and Southern U.S. store-bought.

bought British  

/ bɔːt /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of buy

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adjective

1. purchased from a shop; not homemade

bought Idioms  

1. see under buy.

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Other Word Forms

• unbought adjective
• well-bought adjective

Etymology

Origin of bought

First recorded before 900, for the adjective for an earlier sense

Compare meaning

How does bought compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• bought vs. brought

Example Sentences

After being on display for a few years, it was bought by a showman and spent two years in the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham before being offered to Rye Town Council.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Nearby, his father bought an Austro-Hungarian-era estate and Orbán’s childhood friend, Lőrinc Mészáros, once a gas fitter, has also become the country’s richest man.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Telemundo’s rise was a slow build, coming nearly a quarter-century after NBC bought the network for nearly $2 billion.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

The largest vessel sold last year, at 446 feet, was Flying Fox, which Luxury Launches reported was bought by a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

At the fair, Mim bought a special pass allowing them access to all the rides and exhibitions.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman