bid 1 of 2

noun

Definition of bidnext
as in attempt
an effort to do or accomplish something a dramatic film that is widely regarded as the comedian's last-ditch bid to be taken seriously as an actor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

bid

2 of 2

verb

ˈbid How to pronounce bid (audio)
1
as in to order
to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority the servants were expected to do exactly as they were bidden

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to invite
to request the presence or participation of as company president, I bid you all to come to our annual holiday party!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bid contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bid are charge, command, direct, enjoin, instruct, and order. While all these words mean "to issue orders," bid suggests giving orders peremptorily (as to children or servants).

she bade him be seated

How do charge and enjoin relate to one another, in the sense of bid?

Charge adds to enjoin an implication of imposing as a duty or responsibility.

charged by the President with a secret mission

How are the words command and order related as synonyms of bid?

Both command and order imply authority and usually some degree of formality and impersonality; command stresses official exercise of authority.

a general commanding troops

How does the word direct relate to its synonym instruct, in the sense of bid?

Direct and instruct both connote expectation of obedience and usually concern specific points of procedure or method, instruct sometimes implying greater explicitness or formality.

directed her assistant to hold all calls
the judge instructed the jury to ignore the remark

When can enjoin be used instead of bid?

While the synonyms enjoin and bid are close in meaning, enjoin implies giving an order or direction authoritatively and urgently and often with admonition or solicitude.

a sign enjoining patrons to be quiet

When might order be a better fit than bid?

The words order and bid can be used in similar contexts, but order may suggest peremptory or arbitrary exercise.

ordered his employees about like slaves

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bid
Noun
The Department of Transportation has also been soliciting bids for alternatives. —Michael Kan, PCMAG, 6 Mar. 2025 Some analysts felt Seven & I’s restructuring plan may not derail ACT’s bid for the company. —Reuters, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
Perhaps the National Women’s Soccer League will find the behind-the-scenes play for White Stadium unseemly and give Boston Unity’s expansion bid the cold shoulder. —Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 26 Feb. 2025 Brands currently bid on keywords and placements to capture consumer attention. —Kiri Masters, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bid
  1. attempt
  2. order
  3. invite
  4. try
  5. instruct
  6. ask
  7. tell
Noun
  • Ani remains resistant to the annulment, and Toros' attempt to initiate it is rejected by the court since the couple was married in Nevada, not New York.
    — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2025
  • The politically motivated charges against me are nothing more than an attempt to silence my fight for democracy.
    — Imran Khan, TIME, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of attempt
Verb
  • Bove demanded the names of thousands of FBI agents who participated in the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and ordered the dismissal of New York City Mayor Eric Adams' corruption case.
    — Compiled by Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 6 Mar. 2025
  • March 6, 2025 Gone are most days of ordering a drink for the sole purpose of chasing a quick buzz.
    — Joey Skladany, Bon Appétit, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of order
Verb
  • The South Korean government invited William Ellsworth, a Stanford geophysicist, to study the Pohang quake and whether a nearby geothermal facility had caused it.
    — Brent Crane, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2025
  • When Parker invited his South Park partner Matt Stone to be his date, Stone initially wanted to wear a dress and pose as a fictitious European model.
    — Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of invite
Noun
  • These serve the same confidence-building/try without risk approach as plug-in hybrid vehicles.
    — Jamie Gold, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
  • If you’re already used to how compression fabric feels and want a pair with extra support, give these a try.
    — Sara Coughlin, SELF, 28 Feb. 2025
Definition of try
Verb
  • Do begin monthly fertilizer applications or use a slow-release fertilizer as instructed on the product label.
    — Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The Education Department Memo To Student Loan Servicers The Education Department has instructed student loan servicers to stop accepting and processing all student loan forgiveness applications for three months, according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.
    — Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Definition of instruct
Verb
  • That move set off a heated week between the prosecutors in the case and the Department of Justice — with several Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office lawyers resigning from their posts after being asked to put their weight behind a formal request to dismiss the case.
    — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2025
  • School board member Roberto Alonso also spoke at the February meeting and aligned himself with Gallon, asking the school district to provide a memo related to how BusPatrol revenue is being spent.
    — Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of ask
Verb
  • Alex Pereira has heard what Magomed Ankalaev and his team have been saying ahead of their light heavyweight title clash at UFC 313 and has told his opposite number to put his money where his mouth is.
    — Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The first will take place June 7 at 7 p.m., and the second is on July 26 at 2 p.m. Column: The Ben Johnson-Ryan Poles union sparks optimism — but Chicago Bears’ heavy lifting has just begun Time will tell, writes Dan Wiederer.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of tell

Phrases Containing bid

Browse Nearby Words

bid
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bid. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on bid

Nglish: Translation of bid for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
girl-pencil-test
Challenging Standardized Test Words Quiz Vol. 3 You’re on your own for the math section.
See All