Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense bids, present participle biddinglanguage note: The form bid is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle.
1. countable noun [NOUN to-infinitive]
A bidfor something or a bidto do something is an attempt to obtain it or do it.
[journalism]
...the city's successful bid for European City of Culture. [+ for]
The company said that it might cut 2,232 jobs in a bid to reduce costs.
2. countable noun
A bid is an offer to pay a particular amount of money for something that is being sold.
Hanson made an agreed takeover bid of £351 million.
Synonyms: offer, price, attempt, amount More Synonyms of bid
3. verb
If you bidfor something or bidto do something, you try to obtain it or do it.
The German private equity group reiterated its interest in bidding for the company. [VERB + for]
I don't think she is bidding to be Prime Minister again. [VERB to-infinitive]
Synonyms: make a bid for, attempt, seek, strive More Synonyms of bid
4. verb
If you bidfor something that is being sold, you offer to pay a particular amount of money for it.
She decided to bid for a Georgian dressing table. [VERB + for]
The bank announced its intention to bid. [VERB]
He certainly wasn't going to bid $18 billion for this company. [VERB noun]
biddinguncountable noun
The bidding starts at £2 million.
Synonyms: order, call, charge, demand More Synonyms of bid
Synonyms: offer, proposal, auction, tender More Synonyms of bid
Phrasal verbs:
See bid up
More Synonyms of bid
bid saying something
(bɪd)
Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense bids, present participle bidding, past tense bade, past participle biddenlanguage note: American English sometimes uses the form bid for the past tense.
1. verb
If you bid someone farewell, you say goodbye to them. If you bid them goodnight, you say goodnight to them.
[formal]
She bade farewell to her son. [VERB noun + to]
I bade her goodnight. [VERB noun noun]
Synonyms: wish, say, call, tell More Synonyms of bid
2. verb
If you bid someone do something, you ask or invite them to do it.
[literary]
They all smiled at him and bade him eat. [VERB noun infinitive]
I dare say he did as he was bidden. [beVERB-ed]
[Also VERB noun to-infinitive]
Synonyms: tell, call, ask, order More Synonyms of bid
3. See also bidding
bid in British English
(bɪd)
verbWord forms: bids, bidding, bad, bade or esp for senses 1, 2, 5, 7 bid, bidden or esp for senses 1, 2, 5, 7 bid
1. (often foll byfor or against)
to offer (an amount) in attempting to buy something, esp in competition with others as at an auction
2. business
to respond to an offer by a seller by stating (the more favourable terms) on which one is willing to make a purchase
3. (transitive)
to say (a greeting, blessing, etc)
to bid farewell
4.
to order; command
do as you are bid!
5. (intransitive; usually foll byfor)
to attempt to attain power, etc
6. (transitive)
to invite; ask kindly
she bade him sit down
7. bridge
to declare in the auction before play how many tricks one expects to make
8. bid defiance
9. bid fair
noun
10.
a.
an offer of a specified amount, as at an auction
b.
the price offered
11. business
a.
a statement by a buyer, in response to an offer by a seller, of the more favourable terms that would be acceptable
b.
the price or other terms so stated
12.
an attempt, esp an attempt to attain power
13. bridge
a.
the number of tricks a player undertakes to make
b.
a player's turn to make a bid
14. short for bid price
Derived forms
bidder (ˈbidder)
noun
Word origin
Old English biddan; related to German bitten
b.i.d. in British English
abbreviation for(in prescriptions)
bis in die
Word origin
Latin: twice a day
bid in American English1
(bɪd)
verb transitiveWord forms: bade or bid, ˈbidden or bid, ˈbidding, bid
1. Obsolete
to beseech; implore
2.
to command, ask, or tell
do as you are bidden
3.
to offer (a certain amount) as the price or fee that one will pay or accept
4.
to declare openly
to bid defiance
5.
to express in greeting or taking leave
bid farewell to your friends
6. US, Informal
to offer membership to
the fraternity bid five new men
7. Chiefly Dialectal
to invite
8. Cards
to state (the number of tricks or points one proposes to take and, in bridge, whether one proposes to play the hand with a specified suit as trump or with no suit as trump) in an effort to win the right to name trump
verb intransitive
9.
to make a bid
noun
10.
a bidding of an amount
11.
the amount bid
12.
a chance to bid
13.
an attempt or try
a bid for fame
14. US, Informal
an invitation, esp. to become a member
15. Cards
a.
the act of bidding
b.
the number of tricks, suit, etc. stated in a bid
c.
a player's turn to bid
Idioms:
bid fair
bid in
bid up
Derived forms
bidder (ˈbidder)
noun
Word origin
ME bidden, to ask, plead, pray < OE biddan < IE base *bheidh-, to urge, compel; meaning and form merged with ME beden, to offer, present < OE beodan, to command, decree < IE base *bheudh-, to be alert, announce
bid in American English2
(bɪd)
verb intransitive
Obsolete
bide
b.i.d. in American English
Pharmacy
twice daily
Word origin
L bis in die
bid in Finance
(bɪd)
Word forms: (regular plural) bids
noun
(Finance: Investment, Stocks)
The bid is the price that investors are willing to pay for a particular security.
Investors feel that the bid price undervalues the company.
Dealers are said to make a market when they quote bid and offered prices at which they stand ready to buy and sell.
The bid is the price that investors are willing to pay for a particular security.
COBUILD Collocations
bid
opening bid
potential bid
Examples of 'bid' in a sentence
bid
Now there are two rival bids for this unglamorous business.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He realised no one else was bidding.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Manor homes are still extremely desirable and they often spark bidding wars.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He bade his party farewell.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Make your one bid count.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Question: Does the opposing bidding make a difference?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is the bid you make that's important, not the hand you hold to make that bid.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He bids farewell to people at his tastings by declaring that next time he'll see them in Scotland.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Sterling's relative weakness could encourage opportunistic buyers to bid for domestic companies, and particularly those with a global footprint.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We think a bid premium is already priced in.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The winner is the person who has placed the lowest unmatched bid when the auction closes.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
You should get a survey of any property before putting in an offer or bid.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The winning bidders must then buy the quantity requested and pay the price that they bid.
Miller, Roger LeRoy & Fishe, Raymond P. H. Microeconomics: Price Theory in Practice (1995)
There were two people bidding for it and one of them was me!
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
We have had one bid and it was not acceptable.
The Sun (2013)
The criticism and the whispers of a takeover bid have subsided.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The anonymous buyer made his bid by telephone.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There was no need to get involved in a populist bidding war over energy prices.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Often two companies bid against each other to acquire the same target firm.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
It becomes clear that he is getting inside assistance in his bid to stay one step ahead.
The Sun (2006)
It is rare enough to bid and make a game in a suit that an opponent has mentioned.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
There is no fee to make a bid and the auction closes a week or so before departure.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
You can enter a competitive bid and take your chance of receiving an allotment at your bid price.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
The club will now have talks with the players in a bid to get them to waive the clauses.
The Sun (2010)
He invited bids from other causes.
The Sun (2015)
GCap has already rejected one bid.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He is expected to appoint himself the club's chairman if successful with his bid.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The government invited bids last year to build 1,000 new houses there.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
If you do that, you can bid farewell to the count and pretty much eat as much as you like.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The successful bid for the competition was made when Brazil was enjoying a boom based on rising commodity prices and consumer borrowing.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Investors will not need reminding that the company turned down a bid offer two years ago that valued it at more than 300 million.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The changes are part of Government 's bid to improve standards by making exams harder.
The Sun (2015)
It is part of a Government bid to get 2.5million people on their bikes.
The Sun (2009)
I bid you goodnight, Lieutenant.
Iain Gale Man of Honour (2007)
In other languages
bid
British English: bid /bɪd/ NOUN
If you make a bid for something that is being sold, you say that you will pay a certain amount of money for it.
He made the winning bid for the statue.
American English: bid
Arabic: مُنَاقَصَة
Brazilian Portuguese: oferta
Chinese: 投标
Croatian: ponuda
Czech: nabídka
Danish: bud
Dutch: bod
European Spanish: puja
Finnish: tarjous huutokaupassa
French: offre
German: Gebot
Greek: προσφορά
Italian: offerta
Japanese: 入札
Korean: 입찰
Norwegian: bud økonomi
Polish: oferta
European Portuguese: oferta
Romanian: ofertă
Russian: ставка предложение цены
Latin American Spanish: oferta
Swedish: bud erbjudande
Thai: การประมูล
Turkish: teklif
Ukrainian: ставка
Vietnamese: sự đấu thầu
British English: bid /bɪd/ VERB
If you bid for something that somebody is selling, you offer to pay a price that you think is fair.
If somebody beats you at the last second, it means you didn't bid enough.
He bid a lot of money for the painting.
American English: bid at auction
Arabic: يُزايدُ at auction
Brazilian Portuguese: fazer um lance leilão
Chinese: 竞价
Croatian: licitirati
Czech: nabídnout při dražbě
Danish: byde
Dutch: bieden bij veiling
European Spanish: pujar
Finnish: tarjota huutokaupassa
French: faire une offre
German: bieten Auktion
Greek: πλειοδοτώ
Italian: fare un’offerta
Japanese: 入札する at auction
Korean: 입찰하다
Norwegian: gi bud
Polish: zalicytować
European Portuguese: fazer um lance leilão
Romanian: a licita
Russian: участвовать в торге
Latin American Spanish: ofertar
Swedish: bjuda
Thai: ประมูล
Turkish: fiyat vermek açık arttırmada
Ukrainian: робити ставку
Vietnamese: trả giá
All related terms of 'bid'
cue bid
a bid in a suit made to show an ace or a void in that suit
bid in
(in an auction ) to outbid all previous offers for (one's own property) to retain ownership or increase the final selling price
bid up
If someone bids up the value of something, they try to increase it, for example by offering to buy it at a higher price than usual .
re-bid
to bid again, for example in a card game such as bridge
bid bond
a bond that guarantees the fulfilment of an offer or bid if it is accepted
biddy-bid
a low-growing rosaceous plant, Acaena viridior of New Zealand , having prickly burs
bid fair
to seem probable
bid price
The bid price of a particular stock or share is the price that investors are willing to pay for it.
blind bid
an offer on the part of a big investor to buy a number of different stocks without knowing exactly which stocks are included in the package
jump bid
a bid by the responder at a higher level than is necessary
asking bid
a conventional bid by which a bidder asks for specific information about the strength of his or her partner's hand in a given suit
bid welcome
to receive with cordial greetings
forcing bid
a bid , often at a higher level than is required , that is understood to oblige the bidder's partner to reply
hostile bid
A hostile takeover bid is one that is opposed by the company that is being bid for.
opening bid
A bid is an offer to pay a particular amount of money for something that is being sold.
reverse bid
a bid of a higher-ranking suit at the two level or higher by a player whose previous bid was of a lower-ranking suit
suicide bid
an attempt to kill oneself
bid defiance
to resist boldly
potential bid
A bid is an offer to pay a particular amount of money for something that is being sold.
takeover bid
an offer or bid made by a company or business in order to purchase or acquire another company or business
shut-out bid
a pre-emptive bid
hostile takeover bid
→ another name for hostile bid
Chinese translation of 'bid'
bid
(bɪd)
Word forms:ptbadebid
Word forms:ppbidbidden
n(c)
(= attempt) 尝(嘗)试(試) (chángshì)
(at auction) 出价(價) (chūjià) (次, cì)
(to buy a company) 投标(標) (tóubiāo)
vi
(at auction) 出价(價)竞(競)买(買) (chūjià jìngmǎi)
vt
(= offer) 出价(價) (chūjià)
to bid sb farewell/goodnight (frm) 向某人道别(別)/说(說)晚安 (xiàng mǒurén dàobié/shuō wǎnān)
1 (noun)
Definition
an attempt, esp. to attain power
a bid to silence its critics
Synonyms
attempt
a deliberate attempt to destabilize defence
try
I didn't really expect anything, but it was worth a try.
effort
He made no effort to hide.
venture
a Russian-American joint venture
undertaking
Organizing the show has been a massive undertaking.
go (informal)
It took us two goes to get the colour right.
shot (informal)
He will be given a shot at the world title.
stab (informal)
Several times tennis stars have had a stab at acting.
crack (informal)
I'd love to have a crack at the title next year.
endeavour
His first endeavours in the field were wedding films.
2 (noun)
Definition
an offer of a specified amount
He made an agreed takeover bid of £351 million.
Synonyms
offer
She has refused all offers of help.
price
attempt
amount
advance
proposal
the government's proposals to abolish free health care
sum
tender
Builders will be asked to submit a tender for the work.
proposition
I want to make you a business proposition.
submission
A written submission has to be prepared.
1 (verb)
I don't think she is bidding to be Prime Minister again.
Synonyms
make a bid for
attempt
We attempted to do something like that here.
seek
He also denied that he would seek to annex the country.
strive
He strives hard to keep himself very fit.
2 (verb)
Definition
to offer (an amount) in an attempt to buy something
She wanted to bid for it.
Synonyms
make an offer
offer
We offered a fair price for the land.
propose
We are about to propose some changes to the system.
put up
submit
They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.
tender
She quickly tendered her resignation.
proffer
They have not yet proffered an explanation of how the accident happened.
3 (verb)
Definition
to say (a greeting)
I bade her goodnight.
Synonyms
wish
I will do as you wish.
say
call
tell
greet
4 (verb)
Definition
to order
I dare say he did as he was bidden.
Synonyms
tell
She told me to follow my dreams.
call
The group promised to call a meeting of shareholders.
ask
She asked me back to her house.
order
Williams ordered him to leave.
charge (formal)
Her boss charged her with a hazardous mission.
require
She was required to take to the stage.
direct
They have been directed to give special attention to poverty.
desire (formal)
His Majesty desires me to make his wishes known to you.
invite
She invited him to her birthday party.
command
He commanded his troops to attack.
summon
Howe summoned a doctor and hurried over.
instruct
They have instructed solicitors to sue for compensation.
solicit
enjoin
She enjoined me strictly not to tell anyone else.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ask
Definition
to invite
She asked me back to her house.
Synonyms
invite,
bid,
summon
in the sense of call
The group promised to call a meeting of shareholders.