offers
offers — noun
- offerssingular
- offersesplural
1. a suggestion that you are ready to give someone something or to do something for
a suggestion that you are ready to give someone something or to do something for them, expecting them to say yes or no.
Ava gratefully accepted Mert's offer of a ride to the airport.
accepted [someone's] offer of [something]
The company turned down his generous offer to work without pay for the first month.
turn down / refuse an offer
Carlos made a kind offer to watch the neighbour's cat while they were away.
Saira's offer to help with the cooking was warmly welcomed by the team.
- proposal
more formal than offer, often used in business or official contexts
- suggestion
less binding than an offer; does not necessarily imply a commitment to act
- bid
specifically used when offering money or a price for something
2. a statement from a possible buyer declaring how much they would pay to purchase
a statement from a possible buyer declaring how much they would pay to purchase an item — most often a home or land — directed to the person selling it.
Liang and his wife put in an offer of three hundred thousand dollars for the old house.
put in an offer of [amount]
The seller accepted Constanza's offer fifteen minutes after she made it.
accept / reject an offer on a property
Tamás withdrew his offer when the survey showed serious damage to the roof.
Asher's offer was five thousand dollars higher than any other bid on the table.
用法筆記
This sense is most commonly used in real-estate contexts. The seller can accept, reject, or counter the offer. 'Put in an offer' and 'make an offer' are the standard collocations.
常見錯誤
3. a temporary drop in what an item or service normally costs, typically used by sh
a temporary drop in what an item or service normally costs, typically used by shops to attract customers.
The furniture store is running a special offer on sofas this weekend only.
special offer / running an offer
Adaeze saved nearly forty percent thanks to the buy-one-get-one-free offer at the supermarket.
The travel website has a limited-time offer on flights to Japan.
Noa printed a coupon for the two-for-one pizza offer before heading out.
Eliska checked the supermarket leaflet every Tuesday for the best weekly offers.
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with 'special offer' or 'promotional offer.' In British English, 'offers' in shops often means items at a reduced price. Commonly found in advertising and retail contexts.
4. used in the phrase 'on offer,' meaning that something can be bought, used, or ob
used in the phrase 'on offer,' meaning that something can be bought, used, or obtained.
The library has a wide range of books on offer for borrowing.
on offer (available)
Several training courses are on offer at the community centre this autumn.
The museum has guided tours on offer every afternoon from two o'clock.
Anjali checked what services were on offer before choosing the hotel.
- available
direct synonym; 'on offer' is a fixed phrase with the same meaning
- accessible
focuses on ease of obtaining rather than mere presence
用法筆記
In British English, 'on offer' can simply mean 'available' without implying a discount. Different from 'on special offer' (sense 5) which always means reduced price.
5. used in the phrase 'on (special) offer,' referring to items in a store whose pri
used in the phrase 'on (special) offer,' referring to items in a store whose price has been temporarily marked down from the normal level.
The coffee machine was on special offer, so Amelia decided to buy it immediately.
on special offer (discounted)
Ezra picked up two boxes of cereal because they were on offer at the corner shop.
on offer (reduced price)
Ryo noticed that all winter coats were on offer at half price in the department store.
Dylan waited until the gardening tools were on special offer before replacing his old shovel.
Heather bought three packs of pasta because they were on offer at the new supermarket.
- discounted
direct synonym, but 'discounted' is an adjective while 'on offer' is a prepositional phrase
- on sale
more common in American English for the same meaning
- reduced
shorter, often used on price tags
- full price
the normal price without any discount
用法筆記
Commonly seen on shop signs and advertisements in the UK. 'On special offer' emphasises the discount; 'on offer' alone in British retail usually also implies a reduced price.
6. used in the phrase 'under offer,' meaning that the seller of a house has accepte
used in the phrase 'under offer,' meaning that the seller of a house has accepted a buyer's proposed price and the sale is being processed.
The three-bedroom house on Maple Street is now under offer.
under offer (house sale status)
Omar was disappointed to learn that the flat he wanted was already under offer.
The estate agent listed five properties, but three were under offer within a week.
Iris was thrilled when the seller accepted her offer and the house went under offer the same day.
- sold subject to contract
more formal, means the same but specifies that contracts have not yet been exchanged
- for sale
still available to buy, no offer has been accepted
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively for property sales in British English. Once a house is 'under offer,' it is no longer available for other buyers unless the sale falls through.
7. a short effort or attempt to achieve something, especially when the outcome is n
a short effort or attempt to achieve something, especially when the outcome is not certain.
Padma made a weak offer to defend her position, but the committee was not convinced.
make an offer to [do something] — attempt sense
Mira's final offer at negotiation was to accept a smaller role in the project.
The soldier made no offer of resistance when the enemy troops surrounded him.
Naoko's half-hearted offer to clean the kitchen made everyone laugh.
用法筆記
This sense often appears in fixed phrases such as 'make an offer of resistance' or 'offer opposition.' It conveys a tentative or incomplete attempt rather than a determined effort.
offers — verb
- offerspresent simple I / you / we / they
- offerses3rd person singular
- offersing-ing form
- offersedpast simple
1. to say to someone that you are willing to give them something or do something fo
to say to someone that you are willing to give them something or do something for them, and wait for them to say yes or no.
Reuben offered his neighbour a lift to the station when he saw her waiting in the rain.
offer + someone + something
Nia kindly offered to look after the children while their parents attended the wedding.
offer + to-infinitive
The waiter offered us a table by the window with a lovely view of the garden.
When Apinya's computer crashed, her colleague offered to share his laptop until the end of the day.
Greta offered a warm smile to the nervous new student on the first day of school.
文法句型
offer + noun phrase (offer a drink)
offer + to-infinitive (offer to help)
offer + someone + something (offer her a seat)
用法筆記
The double-object pattern (offer someone something) is very common: 'She offered him a cup of tea.' The to-infinitive pattern (offer to do something) is used when you volunteer for an action.
常見錯誤
2. to speak holy words, carry out a ritual, or present something valuable as a way
to speak holy words, carry out a ritual, or present something valuable as a way of honouring a god or showing religious devotion.
The priest offered a prayer for peace at the morning service.
offer a prayer
Pilgrims offered flowers and incense at the ancient temple every full moon.
offer + flowers/incense + to [deity]
Yuki's grandmother offered a small bowl of rice to the family shrine each morning.
The community gathered to offer thanks for the harvest at the autumn festival.
文法句型
offer + prayer/sacrifice + to + [deity]
offer + worship + to + [deity]
用法筆記
Can be used with both physical objects (food, flowers, money) and non-physical acts (prayers, thanks, worship). The recipient is usually introduced by 'to' (offer prayers to God).
3. to make something available for people to use, buy, or benefit from, such as a s
to make something available for people to use, buy, or benefit from, such as a service, product, or opportunity.
The university offers free language classes to all international students.
offer + something + to + someone
Amelia's café offers freshly baked bread and organic coffee every morning.
The hotel offers its guests a complimentary shuttle to the city centre.
Erik's company offers a thirty-day money-back guarantee on all products.
The website offers useful tips on how to save money on household bills.
- provide
more formal; 'offer' often implies the recipient has a choice to accept or not
- supply
focuses on meeting a need; often used for goods and materials
- make available
more explicit but less concise; common in business contexts
- withhold
to deliberately keep something unavailable
文法句型
offer + noun phrase (offer a service)
offer + someone + something (offer customers a discount)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: here the focus is on making something available or providing a service, not on a personal act of volunteering. The thing provided can be abstract (advice, opportunities) or concrete (products, services).
4. to formally ask someone to become your husband or wife, especially in a traditio
to formally ask someone to become your husband or wife, especially in a traditional or old-fashioned way.
Aaron offered marriage to his partner after five happy years together.
offer marriage to [someone]
In the novel, the wealthy gentleman offered for the hand of the farmer's daughter.
The old letter revealed that Constanza's great-grandfather had offered for her great-grandmother in 1898.
In traditional stories, a young man would offer for a woman only after gaining her father's approval.
The poet wrote a sonnet the night he offered marriage to the woman he loved.
- propose
the standard modern term; 'offer marriage' sounds very formal and dated
文法句型
offer + to-infinitive (archaic: offer to marry)
offer + something (offer marriage)
用法筆記
This sense is now quite formal and somewhat old-fashioned. In modern English, 'propose (to someone)' or 'ask someone to marry you' is more common. 'Offer marriage' appears mainly in historical or literary contexts.
常見錯誤
5. to say that you will do something bad or unpleasant to someone if they do not do
to say that you will do something bad or unpleasant to someone if they do not do what you want, effectively threatening them.
The angry customer offered to call the police if the manager did not refund his money.
offer to [do something unpleasant] — threatening
During the argument, one of the men offered to fight anyone who disagreed with him.
offer to fight — threat sense
The landlord offered to evict the tenants if the rent was not paid by Friday.
The hacker offered to release private data unless the company paid a large ransom.
During the dispute, each side offered to take the matter to court if the other would not compromise.
- threaten
more direct; 'offer' in this sense is somewhat euphemistic
文法句型
offer + to-infinitive (offer to fight — threatening sense)
用法筆記
Context is key to distinguishing this sense from the general offer (sense 1). A threat-offer is always unwelcome to the recipient and implies negative consequences. Compare: 'He offered to help' (kind) vs 'He offered to sue' (threat).
6. to present a play, film, concert, or other performance for an audience to watch
to present a play, film, concert, or other performance for an audience to watch or enjoy.
The local theatre company is offering a new production of Shakespeare's Hamlet this summer.
offer a production / performance
The museum is offering an exhibition of modern Japanese art until the end of September.
The streaming service offers a wide selection of classic films from the 1950s.
Heather offered a beautiful piano performance at the school concert last Friday.
The festival offers dance shows, live music, and street theatre throughout the weekend.
文法句型
offer + noun phrase (offer a performance)
用法筆記
This sense overlaps with sense 3 (PROVIDE) but is specific to entertainment and cultural events. When a theatre 'offers' a play, it means they are staging it for the public.
7. to show or put forward something like resistance, opposition, or a challenge in
to show or put forward something like resistance, opposition, or a challenge in response to a situation, especially a difficult or hostile one.
The small army offered fierce resistance against the invading forces for three days.
offer resistance
Antonia offered a strong challenge to the reigning champion in the final round.
offer a challenge
The local community offered no opposition when the new park was proposed.
João offered a thoughtful critique of the government's new education policy.
文法句型
offer + noun phrase (offer resistance, offer a challenge)
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used with abstract nouns like 'resistance,' 'opposition,' 'challenge,' 'critique,' or 'defence.' The verb + noun combination functions as a fixed expression meaning 'to show' or 'to mount.'