bribe

1 of 2

noun

ˈbrīb 

1

: money or favor given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust

police officers accused of taking bribes

2

: something that serves to induce or influence

offered the kid a bribe to finish his homework

bribe

2 of 2

verb

bribed; bribing

transitive verb

: to influence the judgment or conduct of (someone) with or as if with offers of money or favor : to induce or influence by or as if by bribery

attempting to bribe a judge

bribing a child with candy

intransitive verb

: to practice bribery

bribable

ˈbrī-bə-bəl 

adjective

bribee

ˌbrī-ˈbē 

noun

briber noun

Synonyms of bribe

Noun

• incentive
• fix
• stimulus
• motivation

Verb

• lure
• buy
• seduce
• entice
• persuade
• corrupt
• tempt
• poison
• have
• provoke
• pay off
• get at

Examples of bribe in a Sentence

Noun

I offered the children a bribe for finishing their homework.

that judge refused a huge bribe to dismiss the charges against the wealthy defendant

Verb

She was arrested for attempting to bribe a judge.

They bribed him to keep quiet about the incident.

We bribed the children with candy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But the judge also noted Krneta’s dual role in facilitating the corruption of Tobolski, both paying bribes and collecting extortion payments from other contractors on the then-mayor’s behalf. — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

Corrupt naval officers turned ports they were supposed to be supervising into bribe-laden smuggling hubs, authorities say. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026

Verb

The incidents continued back in Maryland, including outside a Chipotle, where Garcia allegedly tried to bribe the victim to touch himself in exchange for food. — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, LeVota denied the allegations but identified Legislator DaRon McGee as the candidate that federal prosecutors are accusing LeVota of bribing. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, morsel given to a beggar, bribe, from Anglo-French, morsel

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1528, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for bribe

• gibe
• jibe
• tribe
• vibe
• ascribe
• describe
• imbibe
• inscribe
• prescribe
• proscribe
• subscribe
• transcribe

Kids Definition

bribe

1 of 2 noun

ˈbrīb 

: something given or promised to a person in order to influence a decision or action dishonestly

bribe

2 of 2 verb

bribed; bribing

: to influence or try to influence by a bribe

bribable

ˈbrī-bə-bəl 

adjective

briber noun

Legal Definition

bribe

1 of 2 noun

: a benefit (as money) given, promised, or offered in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust (as an official or witness) compare kickback

bribe

2 of 2 transitive verb

bribed; bribing

: to influence (a person) by giving a bribe