bid
gb/bˈɪd/ us/bˈɪd/
B1
English
~ 2600
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
offer a price for something
To say how much money you will pay for something, usually in a sale or competition.
Usage pattern:
to bid [amount] for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'bid' with 'bet', but 'bid' is about offering a price, not gambling.
Synonyms
offer (A more general term; not limited to auctions or competitive situations.)
Antonyms
withdraw (To take back or remove an offer or proposal.)
Collocations
bid for
|bid on
|place a bid
|highest bid
|winning bid
Themes
business
|commerce
|transactions
|finance
Examples
- She decided to bid $500 for the antique vase.
- Several companies are expected to bid for the construction contract.
- He bid on three different paintings at the auction.
- We plan to bid aggressively to win the project.
Learner examples
- I will bid $10 for the book.
- They want to bid for the car.
- He will bid on the house.
- We can bid for the job.
Noun
B1
entity
2
an offered price for something
The amount of money someone says they will pay for something.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'bid' (noun) with 'offer' but 'bid' is often linked to auctions or competitive tenders.
Synonyms
offer (A general term that can apply outside auctions or formal processes.)
Antonyms
asking price (The price requested by the seller, not offered by the buyer.)
Collocations
highest bid
|place a bid
|submit a bid
|winning bid
|low bid
Themes
business
|commerce
|transactions
|finance
Examples
- The highest bid was $2,000.
- Our company submitted a bid for the airport project.
- Her bid was rejected because it was too low.
- They received three bids for the renovation work.
Learner examples
- His bid was $5.
- We made a bid on the bike.
- The highest bid won the car.
- I saw many bids at the sale.
Verb
B2
action
3
try to win or achieve something
To try hard to get or do something, often against others trying too.
Usage pattern:
to bid for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with offering money; here it is about trying to achieve something.
Synonyms
compete (Focuses on the act of rivalry rather than the attempt itself.)
Antonyms
concede (To stop trying to win or achieve something, often admitting defeat.)
Collocations
bid for power
|bid for control
|bid for leadership
Themes
competition
|goals
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She is bidding for a place on the national team.
- The company is bidding for dominance in the market.
- He is bidding to become the next mayor.
Learner examples
- They bid for first place.
- She bids to be leader.
- We bid to win the game.
Verb
formal
B2
action
4
say goodbye formally
To say goodbye to someone in a polite way.
Usage pattern:
to bid [someone] farewell/goodbye
Common mistake:
Learners may find 'bade' (past tense) unusual; it's irregular and less common today.
Synonyms
farewell (More often used as a noun or interjection; slightly more formal.)
Antonyms
greet (To say hello or welcome someone instead of saying goodbye.)
Collocations
bid farewell
|bid goodbye
Themes
social
|formalities
|communication
|relationships
Examples
- He bade them farewell before leaving for the airport.
- She bade her friends goodbye after the party.
- We bade our hosts farewell and left.
Learner examples
- I bid you goodbye.
- They bid him farewell.
- She bids her friend goodbye.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bid
IPA
GB/bˈɪd/
US/bˈɪd/
Syllables & stress
bid (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bid)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bid
- Plural: bids
Verb
- Base: bid
- 3rd Person Singular: bids
- Present Participle: bidding
- Past: bade, bid
- Past Participle: bade, bid, bidden
Word family
Forms
bids
noun
bidding
verb
bade
verb
bidden
verb
Core family
bidder
noun B1
Related words
outbid
verb
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: bidding Verb
- Irregular past: bade, bid Verb
- Irregular past participle: bade, bid, bidden Verb
Expressions
highest bid
1/hˈaɪɪst bˈɪd/
fixed phrase
largest amount offered so far
The most money someone has offered so far in an auction or sale.
Examples
- The painting sold to the highest bid of $10,000.
- We are currently at the highest bid, but it may change soon.
make a bid for
1/mˈeɪk ə bˈɪd fɚ/
fixed phrase
try to gain or achieve something
To try hard to get or do something, especially when others are also trying.
Examples
- She made a bid for leadership of the party.
- The company is making a bid for market dominance.
place a bid
1/plˈeɪs ə bˈɪd/
fixed phrase
make an offer in an auction
To say how much money you will pay for something in an auction or competition.
Examples
- He placed a bid on the vintage guitar.
- Anyone interested can place a bid online before Friday.
bid farewell
1/bˈɪd fˌɛɹwˈɛl/
fixed phrase
formal
say goodbye formally/politely
To say goodbye to someone in a polite or formal way.
Examples
- The president bid farewell to the departing ambassador.
- We gathered to bid farewell to our retiring teacher.
- We gathered to bid her farewell before she moved abroad.
- The ambassador bid farewell to the host country after three years of service.