bid
The word carries a strong sense of competition and strategic calculation. In commercial contexts, it suggests a high-stakes environment where the highest value wins, creating a tension between the desire for an object and the willingness to pay for it.
When used as a greeting or farewell, the term feels archaic or highly formal, evoking a sense of ceremony and deliberate intention that is absent from casual words like "say" or "tell."
Countable when referring to a specific price offer made at an auction. Uncountable when referring to the general act of bidding in a market.
Meanings
To offer a specific price for an item at an auction.
He bid five hundred dollars for the antique vase.
To compete with others by offering increasing prices.
The collectors bid against each other for the painting.
Phrasal Verbs
bid up
to increase the price of an item by competing with other buyers
The two collectors bid up the price of the rare coin until it reached thousands of dollars.
bid for
to offer a price in order to win an item or a contract
Several construction firms are bidding for the new stadium project.