bid (some amount) for (something)

To say that one will pay a certain amount of money in exchange for an item, as at an auction. I can't believe I bid $500 for that necklace and still didn't win it! How much did you bid for that antique dresser? A: "Why would you bid such an outrageous amount of money for that beat-up old car?" B: "Because it will be worth twice as much after I restore it to pristine condition!"

bid (some amount) on (something)

To say that one will pay a certain amount of money in exchange for an item, as at an auction. I can't believe I bid $500 on that necklace and still didn't win it! How much did you bid on that antique dresser? A: "Why would you bid such an outrageous amount of money for that beat-up old car?" B: "Because it will be worth twice as much after I restore it to pristine condition!"

bid (someone or something) adieu

1. To say goodbye to someone or something. "Adieu" is a French valediction that literally means "to God." Unfortunately, I've got a train to catch, so I must bid you all adieu now. It was hard bidding college adieu, but I knew deep down that it was time to move on. A: "I can't believe your parents are selling the house." B: "I know, it's been really hard bidding my childhood home adieu."

2. To part with something, such as a possession. It's time for you to bid these ratty old t-shirts adieu. Bid your phone adieu, because I'm confiscating it. Come on, look at all this junk! We could bid most of it adieu at the yard sale.

bid (something) down

To decrease the value of something, usually a security, by offering to pay lower and lower prices for it. Only buy that stock if you are able to bid it down first. It's wild being on the trading floor and hearing traders buy and bid stocks down left and right. I think you could see quite a return on your investment with that stock, especially if you bid it down before buying it.

bid adieu to (someone or something)

1. To say goodbye to someone or something. "Adieu" is a French valediction that literally means "to God." Because I had a train to catch, I had to bid adieu to them quite early in the evening, unfortunately. It was hard to bid adieu to college, but I knew deep down that it was time to move on. A: "I can't believe your parents are selling the house." B: "I know, it's been really hard bidding adieu to my childhood home."

2. To part with something, such as a possession. It's time for you to bid adieu to these ratty old t-shirts. Bid adieu to your phone, because I'm confiscating it. Come on, look at all this junk! We could bid adieu to most of these things at the yard sale.

bid defiance

To remain firm or resolute; to refuse to yield. Our toddler usually bids defiance to any mention of bedtime. The boss bid defiance to her idea initially, but she held her ground and explained it in greater detail. He kept offering me less money, but I bid defiance and got the full asking price.

bid fair

To seem probable or likely. Her grades are good enough that she bids fair to get into that excellent high school. After all of their hard work on that case, all of our employees bid fair to get bonuses this year. You must be excited that the forecast bids fair for snow on Christmas.

bid in

To outbid someone at auction in an effort to retain ownership of a property or increase the price for which it ultimately sells. We were desperate to keep our house, so we tried to bid in when it went to auction. We had no luck, though. I know, the house has been in my family for generations. Unfortunately, I just don't have enough money to bid in and keep possession of it. Hey, if we bid in, at least we'll drive the price up on the person who ultimately ends up with the house.

bid up

1. To increase the price of an item by offering to pay more money for it than the previous bidder, as at an auction. A noun or pronoun can be used between "bid" and "up." If no one bids up the price of the necklace, it will be yours. I did really want that antique dresser, but the other people at the auction kept bidding it up, and I wasn't willing to pay thousands for it. I don't have the kind of money to bid up the artwork being auctioned today. I'm just here to watch the proceedings.

2. To increase the value of something, usually a security, by offering to pay higher and higher prices for it. A noun or pronoun can be used between "bid" and "up." Overeager investors are bidding up that stock. It's wild being on the trading floor and hearing traders buy and bid stocks up left and right. Only buy that stock if no one else bids it up first.

See also: bid, up

lowball bid

A monetary offer or estimate for something that is significantly less than the item's actual value. Don't make a lowball bid on this piece if you really want it—I know a lot of the other bidders have their eye on it. He must think I'm desperate to sell, giving me such a lowball price like that. This car is worth at least twice what he offered! I wouldn't give the company a lowball bid for your freelance work. Sure, you might get the job now, but you'll get a lot of pushback when you give them your much higher, accurate bill later.

bid adieu to someone or something

Cliché to say good-bye to someone or something. (The word adieu is French for good-bye and should not be confused with ado.) Now it's time to bid adieu to all of you gathered here. He silently bid adieu to his favorite hat as the wind carried it down the street.

bid something down

to lower the value of something, such as stock, by offering a lower price for it each time it comes up for sale. We bid the price down and then bought all of it. I could see that the traders were bidding down the price, but I didn't want to take the risk.

bid (something) for something

and bid (something) on something

to offer an amount of money for something at an auction. I bid a thousand for the painting. I didn't want to bid for it. I wouldn't bid a cent on that rickety old table!

bid something up

to raise the price of something at an auction by offering higher and higher prices; to increase the value of something, such as shares of stock, by offering a higher price for it each time it comes up for sale. Who is bidding the price up on that painting? Someone bid up the price on each piece at auction and then backed off.

See also: bid, up

bid adieu

Say goodbye, take leave of, as in It's beyond my bedtime, so I bid you all adieu, or I'll be glad to bid adieu to these crutches. French for "goodbye," adieu literally means "to God" and was part of à dieu vous commant, "I commend you to God." Adopted into English in the 1300s, it was first recorded in Chaucer's Troilus and Cressida (c. 1385). Today it is considered quite formal, although it also is used humorously.

bid up

Raise a price by raising one's offer, as in We were hoping to get an Oriental rug cheaply, but the dealer kept bidding us up. This phrase is used in business and commerce, particularly at auctions. [Mid-1800s]

See also: bid, up

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bid on

1. To offer some amount of money for something at an auction: I won't bid more than $10 on that sofa. Who would like to bid on this beautiful painting?

2. To respond to some business proposal with a bid: Four companies are bidding on this contract right now.

bid up

1. To increase the price of something by offering increasingly high purchase prices for it: The traders bid up the stocks in oil companies. The buyer bid the artist's paintings up much more than she expected that they would be worth.

2. To increase some cost by offering increasingly high purchase prices: There were many potential buyers, and together they bid up the cost of milk to $3 per gallon. The price was low at first, but the buyer bid it up to much more than he could afford.

See also: bid, up

bid defiance

To refuse to submit; offer resistance to.

bid fair

To appear likely.

bid adieu

Say good-bye. This formulaic farewell uses the French adieu, meaning “to God,” and has done so since Chaucer’s time. It is now considered rather formal, although it also is used humorously. In fact, humorist Charles Farrar Browne, under the pen name Artemus Ward, joked about it back in 1862: “I now bid you a welcome adoo” (Artemus Ward: His Book. The Shakers).