bid

1 of 4

verb

bade ˈbad How to pronounce bid (audio) ˈbād How to pronounce bid (audio) or bid; bidden ˈbi-dᵊn How to pronounce bid (audio) or bid also bade; bidding

transitive verb

1
a past tense and past participle bid
(1)
: to offer (a price) whether for payment or acceptance
The contractor bid $10,000 less than his nearest competitor.
(2)
card games : to make a bid (see bid entry 2 sense 4) of or in (a suit at cards)
bid one spade
b
: offer
usually used in the phrase to bid defiance
The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown.William Pitt
2
a
: to issue an order to : tell
did as I was bid
b
: to request to come : invite
were bidden to the wedding
c
obsolete : beseech, entreat
3
: to give expression to
bade a tearful farewell

intransitive verb

: to make a bid (see bid entry 2)
Several other companies bid on the job.
bidder noun

bid

2 of 4

noun

1
a
: a statement of what one will give or take for something
is now accepting bids for the renovation project
especially : an offer of a price
made a bid of $100 for the painting
b
: something offered as a bid
c
: the act of one who bids (see bid entry 1)
2
: an opportunity to bid
It's your bid.
3
: an attempt or effort to win, achieve, or attract
a bid for reelection
4
card games
a
: an announcement of what a cardplayer proposes to undertake
b
: the amount of such a bid
a 3-heart bid
c
: a bridge hand on which one may reasonably bid
5
: invitation
a bid to join the sorority
6
informal : a sentence or term of imprisonment : a stint in jail
I did my first bid at seventeen for assault, robbery, and burglary in the first degree.William Skeans, Jr.

bid

3 of 4

abbreviation (1)

twice a day

BID

4 of 4

abbreviation (2)

bachelor of industrial design
Phrases
bid fair
: to seem likely
a movie that bids fair to become a big hit
Choose the Right Synonym for bid

command, order, bid, enjoin, direct, instruct, charge mean to issue orders.

command and order imply authority and usually some degree of formality and impersonality.

command stresses official exercise of authority.

a general commanding troops

order may suggest peremptory or arbitrary exercise.

ordered his employees about

bid suggests giving orders peremptorily (as to children or servants).

she bade him be seated

enjoin implies giving an order or direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or solicitude.

a sign enjoining patrons to be quiet

direct and instruct both connote expectation of obedience and usually concern specific points of procedure or method, instruct sometimes implying greater explicitness or formality.

directed her assistant to hold all calls
the judge instructed the jury to ignore the remark

charge adds to enjoin an implication of imposing as a duty or responsibility.

charged by the President with a secret mission

Examples of bid in a Sentence

Verb I'll bid $100 for the lamp but no higher. He plans to stop bidding if the bids go over $500. She bid for a desk and a chair. Several local companies are bidding for the same job. His company bid on the snow removal contract. He bid and I passed. We did as we were bid. Noun Bids for the painter's work have been quite high at recent auctions. She had the highest bid. He made a bid of $100 for the painting. He made the opening bid. The company is accepting bids for the renovation project.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
This was Larry Hall, who was bidding on Clapton’s guitar on behalf of Jim Irsay, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts and a major collector of pop-culture objects. Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 In recent years, programs have created one-of-a-kind experiences that members can bid on or buy using points. Ramsey Qubein, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Mar. 2024 After devastating fire, Bisbee businesses consider next steps: 'Like a second full-time job' 'Cold, sick, hungry': Phoenix resident says his relatives in Gaza are barely surviving Appeals court rejects Apache Stronghold bid to block Resolution Copper mine at Oak Flat Money buys happiness? Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Observers will be parsing how leaders discuss or comment on key issues like China’s position on the self-governing island of Taiwan, its relations with the US and bid to strengthen innovation as Washington bolsters tech export controls. Simone McCarthy, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 State law mandates that the entities who nominated the land for fracking and those that bid on the land must remain anonymous until the bidding process is complete. Samantha Hendrickson, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 Arizona's contract with RIP Medical Debt was not competitively bid, as is typically required by law to guarantee the best use of taxpayer dollars. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Intuitive Machines, the Houston company that built the lander, bid farewell to Odysseus after the spacecraft finally powered down Thursday. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 The developer was one of two entities that bid to refashion the building into something other than a symbol of the city’s real estate blunders. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
For Intel, the facilities are part of an ambitious turnaround bid under Chief Executive Officer Pat Gelsinger. Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 The Wall Street Journal reported the news of Apollo’s bid on Wednesday. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Then the team went out and won the tournament, securing an NCAA bid. The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024 The Dove soap and Marmite-maker has been criticized over the years for its awry GSK-Pfizer bid in 2022 under former CEO Alan Jope, as well as its inability to pull business’s margins back up after the COVID-19 pandemic. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 19 Mar. 2024 Sykes, by contrast, has pulled in $1.9 million for her reelection bid so far. Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2024 Plus, Oscar-winner Regina King stars in Shirley as the first Black U.S. congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, and her bid to become the first Black and woman president. Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024 Garver engineering firm of Fayetteville advertised for construction bids on Feb. 18 and Feb. 25 and will open the bids during a virtual meeting Tuesday. Lynn Kutter, arkansasonline.com, 16 Mar. 2024 More than 50 relatives of Charles de Gaulle issued a letter in 1999 denouncing Adm. de Gaulle’s son, Charles de Gaulle Jr., for joining the far-right National Front party in a successful bid for a seat in the European Parliament. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

partly from Middle English bidden, from Old English biddan; akin to Old High German bitten to entreat, and perhaps to Sanskrit bādhate he presses; partly from Middle English beden to offer, command, from Old English bēodan; akin to Old High German biotan to offer, Greek pynthanesthai to examine, Sanskrit bodhi enlightenment

Abbreviation (1)

Latin bis in die

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2c

Noun

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bid was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bid

Cite this Entry

“Bid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bid. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bid

1 of 2 verb
bade ˈbad How to pronounce bid (audio) ˈbād How to pronounce bid (audio) or bid; bidden ˈbid-ᵊn How to pronounce bid (audio) or bid; bidding
1
a
: order entry 1 sense 2a, command
did as we were bidden
2
: to express to
bade me farewell
3
past and past participle bid : to make an offer for something (as at an auction)
bid $10 for a chair
bidder noun

bid

2 of 2 noun
1
: an offer to pay a certain sum for something or to perform certain work at a stated fee
2
: a turn or opportunity to bid
3
: invitation sense 2
received a bid to the state tournament
4
a
: an announcement of what a card player will try to win
b
: the amount of such a bid
5
: an attempt to win, achieve, or attract
made a strong bid for the job

Medical Definition

bid

abbreviation
twice a day
used in writing prescriptions
Etymology

Abbreviation

Latin bis in die

Legal Definition

bid

1 of 2 verb
bid; bidding

transitive verb

: to offer (a price) for payment or acceptance

intransitive verb

: to make a bid : state what one will pay or take in payment
bidder noun

bid

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act of one who bids
2
a
: a statement of what one will pay for something
b
: a statement of what one (as a contractor) will charge for something (as supplies or labor)
3
: an opportunity to bid

More from Merriam-Webster on bid

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