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

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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
When there was pushback that She the People was given a no-contract bid, Ellis argued that her friend’s organization was the only one in San Francisco qualified to produce a high-quality media campaign. —Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 23 Apr. 2025 Trustee Bill Healy voted against the project, which was done without seeking bids. —Mike Nolan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
Rather than dwell on this possibility, or call for a halt to further investments until the federal funding picture resolves, supervisors instead took turns bidding Bergmann farewell and welcoming acting director Nadia Privara. —Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025 Norcross, the buyer who bid on the Gramercy studio, decided to bow out instead of upping her offer. —Kim Velsey, Curbed, 7 Apr. 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
  • Automakers could be compensated for previous tariff payments as Trump attempts to pull back on fierce tariffs.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Additionally, a new study by the Trevor Project found that suicide attempts went up by more than seventy per cent in states where anti-trans bills were passed.
    — Grace Byron, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2025
Definition of attempt
Verb
  • That same year, however, U.S. troops in Syria and neighboring Iraq increasingly clashed with local militias aligned with Iran, escalating to the point of Trump ordering the killing of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force chief Major General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in 2020.
    — Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently ordered modifications to a room next to the Pentagon press briefing room to retrofit it with a makeup studio that can be used to prepare for television appearances, multiple sources told CBS News.
    — Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of order
Verb
  • This week, Lana Del Rey yearns for freedom on her latest ballad, Addison Rae invites listeners into her synth-pop fantasy, and JID puts the bar work in on his latest release.
    — Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 18 Apr. 2025
  • On the final day, El Batey becomes a focal point, with live drumming and dancing that invite both locals and visitors to join in.
    — Melissa Rose Cooper, Essence, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of invite
Noun
  • Still, that doesn’t mean ice bathing isn’t worth a try—especially if there’s the chance of achieving age-defying results.
    — Irene Coltrinari, Vogue, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Mahomes, 29, gave spring's hottest color a try while celebrating her friend Miranda Hogue's 30th birthday at the beach.
    — Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of try
Verb
  • Hippler concluded in another Friday order that jurors will be instructed on what evidence to consider in determining guilt or innocence, and that Kohberger’s demeanor during trial is not one of the aspects they’re allowed to consider.
    — Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Reports emerged shortly after over the school’s emergency alert system, sending students and faculty into a panic as they were instructed to seek shelter.
    — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of instruct
Verb
  • Healthcare providers consider your medical history and ask about symptoms.
    — Mark Gurarie, Health, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Three Manhattan federal prosecutors resigned on Tuesday after saying the Trump administration had asked them to admit wrongdoing in New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s corruption case as a condition of their return.
    — Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2025
Definition of ask
Verb
  • The percentage tells the public how much of the fire perimeter is believed to not go beyond the control lines.
    — CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Trump told the brief story behind the biblical holiday centered on Jesus Christ, who, according to Christian tradition, was crucified on a cross and then rose from the dead.
    — Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 20 Apr. 2025
Definition of tell

Phrases Containing bid

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bicycles
bid
biddability
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Cite this Entry

“Bid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bid. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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