bid 1 of 2

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

1
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

Examples 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
With bourbon facing a challenging market landscape, ‘The Reserves’ arrives as both a celebration of the past and a bid to maintain relevance in an increasingly competitive field. Rachel King, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025 In a bid to spur interest in the iPhone 16, Apple will begin discounts for the device on Saturday as part of a Lunar New Year holiday promotion. Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 3 Jan. 2025
Verb
During her final episode, Bush Hager, 43, also took a moment to bid farewell to her co-host of five years. Charna Flam, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025 Final show recap:Hoda Kotb bids tearful 'Today' show farewell Need a break? Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for bid 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bid
Noun
  • All morning, firefighting helicopters and airplanes dropped water and fire retardant on fire lines not far from the 405 Freeway in an attempt to prevent flames from engulfing more neighborhoods.
    Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
  • That's because Blue Origin aims to recover the first stage of the New Glenn rocket, and sea states in the Atlantic Ocean have been unsuitable for an initial attempt to catch the first stage booster on a drone ship.
    Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Among them was the plight of Marie Freyre, a 14-year-old afflicted with cerebral palsy and seizures who died within 24 hours of a long, bumpy ride from a Tampa hospital to the Golden Glades nursing home, ordered despite objections from her family.
    Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Less than 10 minutes after Garcia entered her information into the Google spreadsheet, someone had already reached out and ordered a stand-in c for Mr. Guacamole that was on its way to the family's temporary address, at Garcia's brother-in-law's house in San Dimas.
    Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The Fox Valley Christian Ministerial Alliance is inviting the public to its annual Martin Luther King Jr.
    Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
  • In November 2020, Palmer invited her to hang out at her place for a weekend with a group of local artists.
    Lila Shapiro, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Bon-Ami Scratch-Free powder cleanser may be worth a try as well.
    Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 9 Jan. 2025
  • What happens if TikTok is actually banned? People who’ve finally decided to give TikTok a try will be out of luck, with both options to download the app or access it via the web blocked.
    Britney Nguyen, Quartz, 9 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • At the end of the meeting, Netanyahu instructed the director of Mossad David Barnea, the Director of Shin Bet Ronen Bar and IDF general Nitzan Alon to travel to Doha immediately in order to push forward the hostage and ceasefire deal, the prime minister's office said.
    Barak Ravid, Axios, 11 Jan. 2025
  • Not quite six years ago, wildfire expert Jack Cohen, who lives in Missoula, Mont., visited Pacific Palisades to instruct firefighters and property owners on how to protect homes against wildfires.
    Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • During the news conference, several people described how the fires had affected their families and asked public officials to hold oil companies to account.
    Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Von then asked what could be done to rein in the influence of these lobbyists, who have long been protected by the First Amendment right to petition their government.
    Taylor Giorno, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Two years later, a mutual friend told Shannon that Wilson happened to be single.
    Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Trump attempted one last time to get a judge to block the report but was unsuccessful, NPR's Carrie Johnson tells Up First.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 14 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near bid

Cite this Entry

“Bid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bid. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on bid

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!