bid
/bɪd/ (bre, ipa) · [bˈɪd] /bɪd/ (ame, ipa) · [bˈɪd] /ˈbid/ (ame, mw)
bid — verb
- bids3rd person singular
- bidding-ing form
- badepast simple
- bidpast participle
1. to state what you are willing to pay for an item at an auction, competing with o
to state what you are willing to pay for an item at an auction, competing with others who also want to buy it
Eri bid five hundred dollars for the antique wooden desk at the charity auction.
bid + amount + for + item
A collector from Paris bid twice the painting's estimated value and won it.
Quinn raised a hand and bid fifty euros for a box of old comic books
Bid early and bid high if you want that vintage guitar.
Online bidders can bid directly from their phones while the auction is running live.
文法句型
bid + amount + for + item
用法筆記
The object is usually a sum of money; the thing being bought is introduced by 'for'.
常見錯誤
2. to name a price for carrying out a particular job or providing certain goods, wh
to name a price for carrying out a particular job or providing certain goods, while rivals name their own prices for the same project
Three construction firms bid for the contract to build the new community hospital.
bid + for + contract/project
Sari's company bid two million dollars to design the city's new central library.
bid + amount + to do work
Small businesses often struggle when giant international corporations bid against them for local projects.
The contractor bid too low on the road repair job and ended up losing money.
Yuki bid the lowest price just before the deadline, undercutting all other firms.
文法句型
bid + for + contract/job
bid + amount + to do work
用法筆記
Frequently used in the context of tenders and business proposals. Can be used transitively (bid an amount) or intransitively (bid for a project).
常見錯誤
3. to work hard to win a position, opportunity, or prize that other people or group
to work hard to win a position, opportunity, or prize that other people or groups also want
Several local chefs are bidding to represent the city at the national cooking competition.
bid + to-infinitive (competing for opportunity)
Three publishers are bidding to win the rights to the young author's first novel.
Nora is bidding for the chance to lead the company's new overseas expansion project.
Cities around the world bid each year to host the international film festival.
The young athlete bid for a spot on the Olympic team with a record-breaking performance.
文法句型
bid + to-infinitive
bid + for + goal/position
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 (CONTRACT): sense 3 does not involve money or pricing — the competition is for an opportunity, position, or honour.
常見錯誤
4. in games such as bridge, to declare the number of tricks or points you expect yo
in games such as bridge, to declare the number of tricks or points you expect your team to win during that round
Gabriel looked at his hand carefully and then bid three hearts in the bridge tournament.
bid + suit (hearts/spades/clubs/diamonds)
Players take turns to bid, each naming more tricks than the last.
Mei bid two spades and hoped her partner had strong cards in that suit.
Bidding too high in bridge means risking a loss if your team fails.
Ishaan bid one no-trump, signalling a balanced hand with strength across all suits.
- call
more general term in card games for any declaration made during play
文法句型
bid + suit / no-trump
bid + number
用法筆記
Only used in the context of specific card games, especially bridge. The past tense is 'bid' (not 'bade').
常見錯誤
5. to offer a particular kind of greeting, or to request or instruct a person to do
to offer a particular kind of greeting, or to request or instruct a person to do something, in very formal or literary English
The queen bid her guests a warm farewell as they left the palace garden party.
bid + someone + farewell / goodbye / welcome
The headmaster bid the students rise and recite the school pledge together.
bid + someone + to-infinitive (formal request)
As the ship sailed away, the crowd bid the sailors a safe journey home.
Rachel bid her grandmother goodnight before climbing the stairs to her room.
The old poet bid the young writer enter and sit by the fireplace.
文法句型
bid + someone + greeting
bid + someone + to-infinitive
用法筆記
This sense uses 'bade' as the past tense (or 'bid' in modern usage). It is most commonly found in fixed phrases like 'bid farewell', 'bid welcome', and 'bid adieu'. The structure 'bid + someone + to-infinitive' is very formal and mostly literary.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I bade him goodbye' (correct but very formal) — modern learners should use 'I said goodbye to him' in everyday English. Save 'bid farewell' for formal or literary writing.)
bid — noun
- bidsingular
- bidsplural
1. an amount of money that a person offers to pay for something at an auction, espe
an amount of money that a person offers to pay for something at an auction, especially when other people are offering too
The winning bid for the old painting was nearly three million dollars.
winning bid / successful bid
Layla made a bid of two hundred euros for the antique silver vase.
make a bid of + amount
The auctioneer asked if anyone had a higher bid than five hundred pounds.
Nobody placed a bid on the rusty bicycle, so the seller took it home.
His final bid of five thousand dollars was higher than anyone else's offer.
- offer
more general; 'bid' specifically implies competition with others
文法句型
make a bid
a bid of + amount
a bid for + item
用法筆記
Commonly paired with 'make', 'place', 'submit', or 'put in'. A 'starting bid' is the first price asked, and a 'winning bid' is the one that succeeds.
常見錯誤
2. a statement of the price at which someone or a company is willing to do a job or
a statement of the price at which someone or a company is willing to do a job or provide goods, competing against others for the work
Our company submitted a bid of five hundred thousand dollars for the school renovation.
submit a bid + of + amount + for + project
The government accepted the lowest bid for the highway construction project.
Sven's plumbing firm put in a bid to fix the pipes at the sports centre.
Several landscaping firms sent in bids for the annual park maintenance contract.
The committee reviewed all the bids carefully before choosing the most reliable builder.
文法句型
submit a bid
a bid for + contract
a bid of + amount
用法筆記
In business, a 'sealed bid' is one that is kept secret from other bidders until a set time. A 'competitive bid' is one made in competition with others.
常見錯誤
3. in card games such as bridge, a declaration by a player of how many tricks or po
in card games such as bridge, a declaration by a player of how many tricks or points they expect to win during that round
A bid of four spades in bridge means ten tricks are expected.
a bid of + number + suit
The player's bold bid of six hearts surprised everyone sitting at the card table.
A cautious bid of one club was all Henry could make with his weak hand.
Kasia's bid of two no-trump ended the round because nobody wanted to go higher.
Each new bid must be higher than the last, forcing players to take risks.
- call
broader term for any declaration in card games
文法句型
a bid of + suit/number
用法筆記
In bridge, bids start at one and go up to seven, combined with a suit or no-trump. A 'pass' means the player chooses not to bid.
4. an effort or campaign to get or achieve something important, often in the face o
an effort or campaign to get or achieve something important, often in the face of competition or difficulty
The senator made a bid for the presidency after serving twenty years in Congress.
a bid for + position/prize
The company's bid to enter the Asian market failed because of high import taxes.
a bid + to-infinitive
Tariro's bid for the manager position was strongly supported by her entire team.
The rebel group's bid for control of the northern region lasted almost six months.
Her bid for freedom involved months of careful planning and a secret escape route.
文法句型
a bid for + goal
a bid to + infinitive
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 of the verb (COMPETE): the noun emphasises the goal (e.g. 'bid for power'), while the verb emphasises the act of competing.
常見錯誤
5. used as part of the fixed expression 'in a bid to', meaning with the aim of achi
used as part of the fixed expression 'in a bid to', meaning with the aim of achieving something — synonymous with 'in an effort to' or 'so as to'
The city closed the main road in a bid to cut air pollution.
in a bid to + infinitive (purpose)
Naoko took extra shifts at the hospital in a bid to save for college.
The supermarket lowered its prices in a bid to attract more customers during the holidays.
Hoa moved to a smaller apartment in a bid to cut her monthly living expenses.
The government raised taxes on sugary drinks in a bid to improve public health.
- in order to
neutral and more common in everyday speech
- so as to
slightly more formal
- with the aim of
followed by gerund
文法句型
in a bid to + infinitive
用法筆記
This is a fixed phrase — 'bid' here is always singular and always part of 'in a bid to'. It cannot be replaced with 'in bids to' or varied with other determiners.
常見錯誤
bid — abbreviation
1. written abbreviation for the Latin phrase 'bis in die', meaning twice a day, use
written abbreviation for the Latin phrase 'bis in die', meaning twice a day, used mainly on medical prescriptions
The doctor wrote 'bid' on the prescription to show twice-daily dosing.
written on prescriptions for frequency of dosage
The pharmacist said 'bid' means one tablet in the morning and another at bedtime.
Nurse Patel checked the chart and saw 'antibiotic 500 mg bid' for the post-surgery patient.
Most hospitals now discourage Latin abbreviations like 'bid' to avoid dangerous mix-ups.
用法筆記
Always written in lowercase without periods in modern medical usage (e.g. 'bid' rather than 'b.i.d.'). Patients should confirm the meaning with their doctor or pharmacist.
2. an academic degree abbreviation that stands for a four-year university programme
an academic degree abbreviation that stands for a four-year university programme focused on product creation and manufacturing design
She earned a B.I.D. from the Rhode Island School of Design.
B.I.D. as a degree abbreviation
The job posting asked for a B.I.D. or a related degree.
During his B.I.D. programme, Tamás designed a new wheelchair for children.
Graduates with a B.I.D. often work in consumer electronics or furniture manufacturing.
用法筆記
Usually written in uppercase with periods (B.I.D.) or without (BID). Less commonly encountered than other degree abbreviations such as B.A. or B.Sc.