bide

UK: /ˈbaɪd/ US: /baɪd/ ,(bīd)

Inflections of 'bide' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

bides

v 3rd person singular

biding

v pres p

bided

v past

bode

v past

bided

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

bide /baɪd/   v. [no object] , bid•ed or bode/boʊd/  bid•ed, bid•ing. 

1. to wait;
   remain:
   We bided at home during the winter.

Idioms

2. Idioms bide one's time, to wait for a favorable opportunity:
   bided his time, planning revenge.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

bide  (bīd), v., bid•ed or bode;
bid•ed or (Archaic) bid;
bid•ing. 
v.t. 

1. [Archaic.] to endure;
   bear.
2. [Obs.] to encounter.

v.i. 

3. to dwell;
   abide;
   wait;
   remain.
4. Idioms bide one's time, to wait for a favorable opportunity:
   He wanted to ask for a raise, but bided his time.

• Indo-European *bheidh-; the meaning apparently developed: have trust endure wait abide remain
• bef. 900; Middle English biden, Old English bīdan; cognate with Old Frisian bīdia, Old Saxon bīdan, Old High German bītan, Old Norse bītha, Gothic beidan, Latin fīdere, Greek peíthesthai to trust, rely

bid′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 3. stay, linger, tarry.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

bide / baɪd/ verb (bides, biding, bided, bode, bided)

1. (intransitive) to continue in a certain place or state; stay
2. (transitive) to tolerate; endure
3. bide one's time ⇒ to wait patiently for an opportunity

Etymology: Old English bīdan; related to Old Norse bītha to wait, Gothic beidan, Old High German bītan