Meaning of bid In English

• 0 to offer a particular amount of money for something that is for sale and compete against other people to buy it, especially at a public sale of goods or property:

  • She knew she couldn't afford it, so she didn't bid.

  • The communications group has shown an interest in bidding for the company.

  • A foreign collector has bid $500,000 for the portrait.

  • [ + two objects ] What am I bid for this fine vase?

  • The department is trying to ensure fairer competition among firms bidding for city contracts.

  • Paris is bidding to host the next Olympics.

  • Before you decide how to bid, you need to evaluate how strong the hand of cards you are holding is.

  • She bid three diamonds.

• 1 to give a greeting to someone, or to ask someone to do something:

  • [ + two objects ] They bade her good morning.

  • I must now bid you farewell (= say goodbye to you).

  • literary She bade her hopes farewell (= she stopped being hopeful).

  • [ + object + (to) infinitive ] He bade (= asked) them (to) leave at once.

• 2 an offer of a particular amount of money for something that is for sale:

  • I made a bid of $150 for the painting.

  • She made/put in a bid of £69,000 for the flat, which was accepted.

  • [ + to infinitive ] Sydney made a successful bid to host the Olympic Games.

  • I gave the job to the contractors who made/gave the lowest bid (= who offered to do the work for the lowest amount of money).

  • The declarer must make as many tricks as his bid has promised.

• 3 an attempt to achieve or get something:

  • Her bid for re-election was unsuccessful.

  • The company has managed to fight off a hostile takeover bid (= an attempt by another company to take control of it).

  • They have reduced the cost of borrowing in a bid to get the economy moving again.

• 4 to offer a particular amount of money for something when competing against other people to buy it:

  • [ T ] A collector bid $500,000 for the portrait.

  • [ I ] Paris is bidding to host the next Olympics.

• 5 to give a greeting to someone, or to ask someone to do something:

  • He bade us farewell.

• 6 an offer of a particular amount of money for something that is for sale:

  • The minimum bid for these dolls is $75.

  • His bid to build the garage was too high.

  • Her bid for reelection was unsuccessful.

• 7 to compete to buy something by offering a particular amount of money for it:

  • We have a keen interest in the property, although we have not made any definite decision to bid.

  • bid for sth Potential buyers must register and bid for items online before the cutoff dates.

  • bid sth for sth The previously unknown company bid $9.3 billion for the oil fields.

• 8 to compete for work by offering to do it for a particular price:

  • bid for sth Taylor-Stanley yesterday confirmed it had bid for the contract.

  • bid on sth Follow these steps to bid successfully on a government contract.

• 9 to compete to be chosen to do something:

  • The city is bidding to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

• 10 an offer to buy something for a particular price:

  • a bid of £50m

  • make a bid for sth It is believed the team are ready to make a bid for the player.

  • a failed/successful bid

• 11 an offer to do work for a particular price:

  • invite bids for sth/to do sth The state government is inviting bids to carry out maintenance work on all the state highways.

  • make/put in/submit a bid for/on sth It was the second time they had submitted a bid for the contract.

• 12 an attempt to achieve or get something:

  • bid for sth He lost his bid for re-election to the board.

  • The government has reduced the cost of borrowing in a bid to get the economy moving again.