bribe
gb/bɹˈaɪb/ us/bɹˈaɪb/
B2
English
~ 9600
Senses
0 senses
unknown
B2
entity
1
illegal or improper payment
Money, a gift, or something else of value that you give to a person with power so they will do something for you, usually something wrong or not fair.
Usage pattern:
to give [someone] a bribe
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "bribe" with "tip". A tip is extra money you give someone (like a waiter or taxi driver) to thank them for good service and is usually legal and honest. A bribe is money or a gift given to make someone with power do something for you, often illegal or dishonest. Also, learners may wrongly say "do a bribe"; the natural verbs are "give a bribe", "pay a bribe", or "offer a bribe".
Synonyms
payoff (Often used for secret or illegal payments to influence decisions, especially in politics or business.)
|
kickback (A type of bribe paid back secretly to someone for helping to arrange a deal or contract.)
Antonyms
legitimate payment (A payment that is legal, open, and not intended to make someone act dishonestly.)
Collocations
take a bribe
|accept a bribe
|offer a bribe
|pay a bribe
|demand a bribe
|large bribe
Themes
law
|business
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The official was arrested for taking a bribe from a construction company.
- The journalist exposed a network of bribes paid to local politicians.
- He refused the bribe and reported the incident to the police.
- Customs officers say they are under pressure but do not accept bribes.
- The company denied that any bribes were offered during the bidding process.
Learner examples
- The police officer did not take the bribe.
- She lost her job after she asked a client for a bribe.
- The businessman went to prison for giving a big bribe to a judge.
- They tried to stop corruption by making bribes easier to report.
- He said he would never accept a bribe from anyone.
unknown
B2
action
2
give someone a bribe
To give money, a gift, or something nice to someone so they will do what you want, usually something wrong or not fair.
Usage pattern:
to bribe [someone] (with [something]) to do [something]
Common mistake:
Learners often use the wrong prepositions. In English, we usually say "bribe someone with something" (He bribed the guard with money) or "bribe someone to do something" (She tried to bribe him to change the report), not *"bribe someone for do something". Another mistake is using "bribe" when "reward" is better: a reward is a positive, usually honest thing; a bribe is usually dishonest or secret, even in joking use with children or friends.
Synonyms
corrupt (Often used in a more formal or general way for making someone dishonest, not only by paying money but also through other kinds of influence.)
|
buy off (Informal; suggests paying someone so they will stop opposing you or stay silent.)
Antonyms
refuse (In context, an honest person may refuse to be bribed; they do not accept money or gifts to act dishonestly.)
Collocations
bribe an official
|bribe a judge
|bribe a politician
|bribe the police
|bribe someone with money
|bribe someone to do something
Themes
law
|business
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They tried to bribe the inspector with an envelope full of cash.
- The company was accused of bribing foreign officials to win contracts.
- He denied bribing anyone to change the exam results.
- She joked that she had to bribe her kids with ice cream to get them into the car.
- The witness claimed the defendant had attempted to bribe him to stay away from court.
Learner examples
- The driver tried to bribe the police officer with $50.
- The man went to jail because he tried to bribe a judge.
- They wanted to bribe the guard to open the door.
- I had to bribe my little brother with chocolate so he would help me.
- You cannot bribe an honest person to lie for you.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bribe
IPA
GB/bɹˈaɪb/
US/bɹˈaɪb/
Syllables & stress
bribe (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bribe)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bribe
- Plural: bribes
Word family
Forms
bribes
noun
Core family
bribery
noun C1
Related words
briber
noun
bribable
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unbribable
adjective
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.