bite
gb/bˈaɪt/ us/bˈaɪt/
A2
English
~ 2800
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Use teeth to cut or grip
To use your teeth to cut or hold something.
Usage pattern:
to bite [something/someone]
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.
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.)
Collocations
bite into an apple
|bite your lip
|bite a sandwich
|bite someone's arm
Themes
daily life
|food
|animals
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The dog bit the mail carrier on the leg.
- She bit into the fresh bread.
- Be careful—this fish might bite if you touch it.
- He bit the pencil nervously during the exam.
Learner examples
- I bite the apple.
- The dog bites my hand.
- She bites a big sandwich.
- He bites his lip.
Noun
A2
event
2
Act of cutting with teeth
The action of using your teeth to cut or hold something.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'a bite' (the act) with 'a piece' (a portion of food).
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.)
Collocations
a quick bite
|a snake bite
|take a bite
|bite mark
Themes
daily life
|food
|animals
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He took a big bite of the burger.
- The child has a bite mark on his arm.
- One bite from this insect can cause a rash.
Learner examples
- I take a bite of bread.
- The dog gives me a bite.
- She takes one bite of cake.
Verb
B1
action
3
Fish or animal taking bait
When a fish tries to eat food on a hook.
Usage pattern:
to bite [the bait/hook]
Synonyms
nibble (Suggests a lighter or tentative attempt to eat.)
Antonyms
ignore (To not respond to bait at all.)
Collocations
fish bite
|bite at the bait
|bite the hook
Themes
fishing
|animals
|nature
|sports
Examples
- The fish aren't biting today.
- A big salmon bit my hook.
- If the crabs don't bite, we'll try again later.
Learner examples
- The fish bites my hook.
- No fish bite today.
- A big fish bites the bait.
Noun
A2
entity
4
Small amount of food/snack
A small meal or snack.
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.)
Collocations
grab a bite
|have a quick bite
|get a bite to eat
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- Let's grab a bite before the movie starts.
- I had a quick bite during my lunch break.
- We stopped for a bite at the café.
Learner examples
- I want a bite before work.
- We get a bite at the café.
- She has a quick bite after school.
Verb
B2
action
5
Pain caused by cold or sharpness
When cold weather or wind hurts your skin.
Synonyms
sting (Similar but can refer to pain from insects, chemicals, or emotion.)
Antonyms
soothe (To relieve pain or discomfort, opposite effect.)
Collocations
cold bites your skin
|wind bites at your face
Themes
weather
|sensations
|body
Examples
- The icy wind bit at our faces.
- Frostbite occurs when the cold really bites.
- The rope bit into his hands as he pulled.
Learner examples
- The cold bites my hands.
- Wind bites my face.
- The rope bites into my skin.
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.