BID Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

bid 1 of 2

noun

Definition of bid

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

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bid

2 of 2

verb

ˈbid

as in to order

to issue orders to (someone) by right of authority the servants were expected to do exactly as they were bidden

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example 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

Rights groups say Iran has in recent months executed 34 people in connection with the January protests in a bid to intimidate society and prevent further demonstrations. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 The film focuses on Merry, the first witch born on Christmas Day, who must defeat a coven of evil witches that has kidnapped Santa Claus in a bid to destroy Christmas. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Verb

The former reality television worker who lives in North Hollywood shows off a neon-green watch in a live video as viewers bid on her rapid-fire offers. — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 With financial backing from his father Larry, an Oracle co-founder and one of the richest men in the world, Ellison took control of Paramount in August 2025 and immediately began bidding for Warner, which is many times larger than Paramount. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bid

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bid

Noun

These symptoms may reflect the brain’s attempts to integrate and learn from what happened.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
While traveling with then-President Ronald Reagan in 1981, White House press secretary James Brady was shot during an assassination attempt on the president.

— Chandelis Duster, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of attempt

Verb

Xuan and Zhang, who have pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing through their attorneys, were ordered held in lieu of $20 million bail.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
According to police, one of the suspects held a security guard at gunpoint, forced the guard to turn over his weapon and ordered him to face down on the ground before the group forced entry into the building.

— Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of order

Verb

An invite-only Rocket Variant replaces standard features with a single-seat configuration and perimeter thrusters for true flight, rendering it non-road-legal.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
For the spring 2027 collection, McGirr fulfilled a dream, inviting the jeweler and former McQueen collaborator, Shaun Leane, to create pieces for the runway for the first time in 16 years.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of invite

Noun

For example, using a quantum computer to break the current RSA-2048 encryption employed in website security, banking and electronic ID cards would require magic states that would fail only once in 10 billion tries.

— Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026
Reese will try to follow Stewart and win the title in her first try.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of try

Verb

Defense lawyer Lawrence Obonyo, who represents Mackenzie and almost all of the others convicted, said he had been instructed to appeal.

— Jefferson Kahinju Reuters, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Claude had been instructed never to log in, create accounts, enter personal information, make purchases or submit anything destructive.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of instruct

Verb

Some economists, including researchers at the Minneapolis Fed, argue the data don’t tell such a clean story.

— Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
The company agrees with skeptics like the NFL that justices must eventually opine on whether states and tribes should regulate its sports event contracts as sports bets, a Supreme Court litigator working with Kalshi told Semafor.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of tell

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“Bid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bid. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bid

noun

verb

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