bite
gb/bˈaɪt/ us/bˈaɪt/
A2
English
~ 2800
harap, beleharap, megharap, harapás, ráharap, kap, harapnivaló, falat, csíp, mar
VERB
A2
1
Usage pattern:
to bite [something/someone]
The dog bit the mail carrier on the leg.
A kutya lábon harapta a postást.
She bit into the fresh bread.
Beleharapott a friss kenyérbe.
Be careful—this fish might bite if you touch it.
He bit the pencil nervously during the exam.
Learner examples
I bite the apple.
Beleharapok az almába.
The dog bites my hand.
A kutya megharapja a kezemet.
She bites a big sandwich.
He bites his lip.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'bite' with 'chew'. 'Bite' is the act of using teeth to cut into something; 'chew' is to grind food with teeth after biting.
Meaning
Use teeth to cut or grip
Collocations
bite into an apple
|bite your lip
|bite a sandwich
|bite someone's arm
Synonyms
chomp (More informal and suggests noisier or more forceful biting.)
Antonyms
lick (Opposite in that it uses the tongue rather than teeth, without cutting.)
Themes
daily life
|food
|animals
|body
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To use your teeth to cut or hold something.
To use the teeth to cut into, grip, or tear something.
NOUN
A2
2
harapás
A2
He took a big bite of the burger.
Nagyot harapott a hamburgerből.
The child has a bite mark on his arm.
A gyerek karján harapásnyom van.
One bite from this insect can cause a rash.
Learner examples
I take a bite of bread.
Harapok egyet a kenyérből.
The dog gives me a bite.
Megharap a kutya.
She takes one bite of cake.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'a bite' (the act) with 'a piece' (a portion of food).
Meaning
Act of cutting with teeth
Collocations
a quick bite
|a snake bite
|take a bite
|bite mark
Synonyms
nip (Suggests a small or quick bite, often gentle or playful.)
Antonyms
kiss (Opposite in that it involves touching with lips rather than cutting with teeth.)
Themes
daily life
|food
|animals
|body
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The action of using your teeth to cut or hold something.
An act of using the teeth to cut into or grip something.
VERB
B1
3
Usage pattern:
to bite [the bait/hook]
The fish aren't biting today.
Ma nem kapnak a halak.
A big salmon bit my hook.
Egy nagy lazac ráharapott a horgomra.
If the crabs don't bite, we'll try again later.
Learner examples
The fish bites my hook.
A hal ráharap a horgomra.
No fish bite today.
Ma egy hal sem kap.
A big fish bites the bait.
Meaning
Fish or animal taking bait
Collocations
fish bite
|bite at the bait
|bite the hook
Synonyms
nibble (Suggests a lighter or tentative attempt to eat.)
Antonyms
ignore (To not respond to bait at all.)
Themes
fishing
|animals
|nature
|sports
Definition
When a fish tries to eat food on a hook.
(Of a fish or other animal) to take bait into the mouth.
NOUN
A2
4
harapnivaló
B1
falat
A2
Let's grab a bite before the movie starts.
Kapjunk be valamit, mielőtt elkezdődik a film.
I had a quick bite during my lunch break.
Az ebédszünetemben bekaptam pár falatot.
We stopped for a bite at the café.
Learner examples
I want a bite before work.
Szeretnék bekapni valamit munka előtt.
We get a bite at the café.
Bekapunk valamit a kávézóban.
She has a quick bite after school.
Meaning
Small amount of food/snack
Collocations
grab a bite
|have a quick bite
|get a bite to eat
Synonyms
snack (Similar meaning but more common in reference to packaged or informal food.)
Antonyms
feast (A large and plentiful meal, opposite of a small snack.)
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
A small meal or snack.
A small meal or snack, often eaten quickly.
VERB
B2
5
The icy wind bit at our faces.
A jeges szél csípte az arcunkat.
Frostbite occurs when the cold really bites.
Fagyási sérülés akkor alakul ki, amikor a hideg már igazán marja a bőrt.
The rope bit into his hands as he pulled.
Learner examples
The cold bites my hands.
A hideg csípi a kezemet.
Wind bites my face.
A szél csípi az arcomat.
The rope bites into my skin.
Meaning
Pain caused by cold or sharpness
Collocations
cold bites your skin
|wind bites at your face
Synonyms
sting (Similar but can refer to pain from insects, chemicals, or emotion.)
Antonyms
soothe (To relieve pain or discomfort, opposite effect.)
Themes
weather
|sensations
|body
Definition
When cold weather or wind hurts your skin.
To cause a stinging pain, as from cold weather, wind, or sharp objects (often figurative).
Grammar
Dictionary form
bite
IPA
GB/bˈaɪt/
US/bˈaɪt/
Syllables & stress
bite (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bite)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bite
- Plural: bite, bites
Verb
- Base: bite
- 3rd Person Singular: bites
- Present Participle: biting
- Past: bit
- Past Participle: bitten
Word family
Forms
Related words
biter
noun
Advanced or less common
bitingly
adverb
Highlights
- Irregular past: bit Verb
- Irregular past participle: bitten Verb
Expressions
bite back
1/bˈaɪt bˈæk/
phrasal verb
Restrain words/retaliate after provocation
To stop yourself from saying something angry OR to respond angrily after someone attacks you with words or actions.
Examples
- She bit back her anger and stayed calm.
- After weeks of criticism, he finally bit back with some harsh words.
bite off more than you can chew
1/bˈaɪt ˈɔf mˈɔɹ ðən jˈu kən t͡ʃˈu/
idiom
Take on too much work/responsibility
To try to do more work than you can manage.
Examples
- He bit off more than he could chew when he agreed to run two projects at once.
- He bit off more than he could chew when he agreed to manage three projects at once.
- Starting that business alone was biting off more than she could chew.
- Don't bite off more than you can chew by volunteering for too many tasks.
bite the bullet
1/bˈaɪt ðə bˈʊlɪt/
idiom
Face difficulty bravely
To do something difficult or unpleasant that you have been avoiding.
Examples
- I hate going to the dentist, but I'll just have to bite the bullet.
- I hate going to the dentist, but I’ll have to bite the bullet and make an appointment.
- She decided to bite the bullet and tell her boss the truth.
- He finally bit the bullet and told his boss about the mistake.
- We just need to bite the bullet and cut our spending.
bite your tongue
1/bˈaɪt jˈʊɹ tˈʌŋ/
idiom
Stop yourself from speaking out
To stop yourself from saying something you want to say because it might cause trouble or hurt someone.
Examples
- I had to bite my tongue instead of telling him what I really thought.
- I had to bite my tongue when he started bragging.
- Bite your tongue! That's not something you should say in front of her.
- Bite your tongue before you say something you'll regret.
once bitten, twice shy
1/wˈʌns bˈɪtən | twˈaɪs ʃˈaɪ/
idiom
Cautious after bad experience
After something bad happens, you are careful not to let it happen again.
Examples
- I won't lend him money again—once bitten, twice shy.
- I don’t lend money anymore—once bitten, twice shy.
- She avoids online shopping now; once bitten, twice shy.
- She avoided dating for years; once bitten, twice shy.
once bitten, twice shy
2/wˈʌns bˈɪtən | twˈaɪs ʃˈaɪ/
idiom
Cautious after bad experience
After something bad happens once, you are more careful next time.
Examples
- I won't lend him money again—once bitten, twice shy.
- She was hurt in her last relationship and is now once bitten, twice shy.