bud
gb/bˈʌd/ us/bˈʌd/
B1
English
~ 6000
rügy, bimbó, haver, fű, kannabiszvirágzat, rügyezik, kibontakozik, kialakul
NOUN
B1
1
Usage pattern:
a [plant] has buds / a bud on [a plant/branch]
Tiny green buds are starting to appear on the trees.
Apró zöld rügyek kezdenek megjelenni a fákon.
Each rose stem had at least one large bud ready to open.
Minden rózsaszáron volt legalább egy nagy bimbó, amely már éppen nyílni készült.
The frost damaged the fruit buds, so the harvest was poor.
You can tell the plant is healthy by the number of new buds on its branches.
Learner examples
There are many small buds on the apple tree.
Sok apró rügy van az almafán.
In spring, the buds open and the leaves come out.
Tavasszal kipattannak a rügyek, és előbújnak a levelek.
Do not cut the branch; it has new buds on it.
The flower is still a bud, but it will open soon.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "bud" with "seed". A seed is the part that can grow into a new plant, while a bud is a new part growing on an existing plant that will become a leaf, flower, or shoot.
Meaning
undeveloped growth on a plant
Collocations
flower bud
|leaf bud
|rose bud
|tree buds
|swollen buds
|tight buds
Synonyms
shoot (Refers more generally to new growth; not always as compact or unopened as a bud.)
|
sprout (Focuses on very new growth that has just started to appear, not necessarily a closed structure.)
Antonyms
wither (Describes a plant part drying and dying instead of developing from a bud.)
|
bloom (A flower that has fully opened, opposite stage of being in bud.)
Themes
nature
|science
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A small part on a plant that has not opened yet and will grow into a leaf, flower, or new stem.
A small, tightly closed growth on a plant that has not yet opened and can grow into a leaf, flower, or new shoot.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
2
haver
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone's] bud / hey, bud
We've been best buds since we were in kindergarten.
Come on, bud, you know you can trust me.
He introduced me to a couple of his old buds from college.
Thanks for helping me move, bud—I really appreciate it.
Learner examples
He is my best bud at school.
Hey, bud, can you help me with this box?
I went to the game with my buds.
She moved away, but we are still buds.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "bud" in very formal situations, where it can sound too casual or even rude. In formal or polite speech, use "friend", "sir", or the person’s name instead of "bud".
Meaning
close friend; friendly address
Collocations
best bud
|childhood bud
|Hey, bud
|my little bud
|old bud
Synonyms
buddy (Very close in meaning; slightly more common as a general friendly term of address.)
|
pal (Similar informal tone, but can sound slightly old-fashioned in some varieties of English.)
Antonyms
stranger (Someone you do not know, the opposite of a friend or "bud".)
|
enemy (Someone who actively dislikes or opposes you, opposite of a close friend.)
Themes
relationships
|daily life
|communication
|daily_life
Definition
A close friend, or a friendly way to call someone, usually a man or boy.
A close friend; also, a casual, friendly way of addressing someone, especially a man or boy.
NOUN
B2
SLANG
3
fű
B2
Usage pattern:
some bud / smoke bud
He said he only brought a little bud for the weekend.
Azt mondta, csak egy kis füvet hozott a hétvégére.
The police found several bags of high-quality bud in the car.
A rendőrség több zacskónyi kiváló minőségű füvet talált az autóban.
They sat on the balcony, passing a bit of bud back and forth.
This dispensary is known for its organic bud.
Learner examples
He keeps his bud in a small glass jar.
Egy kis üvegben tartja a füvét.
They smoked some bud after the concert.
A koncert után elszívtak egy kis füvet.
The store sells medical bud to patients.
She says she does not use bud or other drugs.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this meaning is slang and connected to illegal or controlled drug use in many places. It should be avoided in formal situations and used carefully, as it can be sensitive or inappropriate in many contexts.
Meaning
cannabis marijuana flower
Collocations
good bud
|high-quality bud
|smoke bud
|ounce of bud
|fresh bud
Synonyms
weed (Very common slang for cannabis in general, not only the flower part.)
|
pot (Older slang for marijuana, slightly less trendy than "weed" in current use.)
Antonyms
sober (Describes a state of not using drugs or alcohol, opposed to using bud to get high.)
Themes
drugs
|slang
|health
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A slang word for the dried flower of the cannabis plant that people smoke to get high.
Slang for the dried flowering part of the cannabis plant, used as marijuana.
VERB
B2
TECHNICAL
4
rügyezik
B2
Usage pattern:
[a plant] buds / [plant] is budding
The cherry trees begin to bud in early March.
A cseresznyefák március elején kezdenek rügyezni.
By the time we returned from vacation, the hedges had already budded.
Mire visszatértünk a nyaralásból, a sövények már kirügyeztek.
These plants won’t bud properly without enough sunlight.
The vine is budding again after being cut back last year.
Learner examples
In spring, the trees start to bud.
Tavasszal a fák rügyezni kezdenek.
Our rose bushes are budding now.
A rózsabokraink most rügyeznek.
The plant did not bud because it was too cold.
Look, the small tree is budding already.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "bud" for animals or people (e.g. *"Teenagers are budding"*) when they really mean "growing" or "developing". As a verb in this sense, "bud" is mainly used for plants.
Meaning
to form buds (plants)
Collocations
trees are budding
|roses are budding
|begin to bud
|just starting to bud
|heavily budded
Synonyms
sprout (Can describe early growth in general, not only the formation of buds.)
Antonyms
wither (Describes plant parts drying and dying instead of growing new buds.)
|
shed (A plant losing leaves or flowers rather than forming new buds.)
Themes
nature
|science
|core_vocabulary
Definition
When a plant starts to make buds.
For a plant to produce buds or begin to form buds.
VERB
C1
5
kibontakozik
B2
kialakul
B1
Usage pattern:
[something] buds / [something] is budding
A quiet respect between them slowly began to bud.
Kettejük között lassan csendes tisztelet kezdett kibontakozni.
Several new tech startups are budding in this region.
Ebben a térségben több új technológiai startup van kibontakozóban.
Her interest in photography really budded during college.
Support for the project is just starting to bud in the community.
Learner examples
A new friendship began to bud between them.
Új barátság kezdett kialakulni közöttük.
Many small cafés are budding in this area.
Ezen a környéken mostanában sorra nyílnak a kis kávézók.
Her love of music budded when she was a child.
A new market for the product is budding in Asia.
Common mistake:
Learners often know the adjective "budding" (as in "a budding artist") but do not recognize it comes from the verb "to bud". They may try to use "budding" where a full verb is needed, instead of saying something like "her career is budding" or "their romance began to bud".
Meaning
to start to develop
Collocations
budding romance
|budding artist
|budding career
|budding friendship
|budding writer
Synonyms
emerge (Focuses on something coming into view or existence, not only early growth.)
|
develop (More general and used for all stages of growth, not just the beginning.)
Antonyms
fade (Describes something losing strength or importance instead of beginning to grow.)
|
decline (Describes a process of becoming weaker or smaller, opposite of budding growth.)
Themes
relationships
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To start to grow or develop, especially a relationship, skill, or business.
To begin to develop or show signs of growth, especially of relationships, talents, or organizations.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bud
IPA
GB/bˈʌd/
US/bˈʌd/
Syllables & stress
bud (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bud)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bud
- Plural: bud, buds
Verb
- Base: bud
- 3rd Person Singular: buds
- Present Participle: budding
- Past: budded
Word family
Forms
buds
noun
budding
verb
budded
verb
Negative and opposite forms
budless
adjective
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: budding Verb
- Irregular past: budded Verb
Expressions
best buds
1/bˈɛst bˈʌdz/
fixed phrase
informal
very close friends
Two people who are very, very close friends.
Examples
- We’ve been best buds since middle school.
- Those two are best buds; they do everything together.
- My dog and my cat are best buds now.
in bud
1/ˈɪn bˈʌd/
fixed phrase
having unopened flower buds
Describes a plant that has many buds that have not opened yet.
Examples
- The tulips are already in bud and will flower soon.
- I like to buy roses when they are still in bud.
- By late March, most of the bushes in the garden were in bud.
nip something in the bud
1/nˈɪp sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈɪn ðə bˈʌd/
idiom
stop something very early
To stop a problem or bad situation very early, before it becomes serious.
Examples
- If you see signs of bullying, you need to nip it in the bud.
- The manager tried to nip the rumor in the bud before it spread.
- Parents should nip bad habits in the bud while their children are young.