bred
Americanverb
verb
noun
Etymology
Origin of bred
sense 2: diminutive form of inbred
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Civic leaders and business owners say the city’s natural appeal and decades of good fortune bred complacency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Low diversity is often seen in isolated groups or in animals that have been selectively bred.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026
For decades, the U.S. has maintained a program in which these flies are bred in a lab, bathed in sterilizing radiation and released around Panama, which prevents the insect from creeping northward.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026
The animals were bred primarily for their wool, but have declined in numbers.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
But Sam’s report on Terrance’s demise had softened her, even as it bred spiteful visions.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
