bribe

UK: /ˈbraɪb/ US: /braɪb/ ,(brīb)

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

bribes

v 3rd person singular

bribing

v pres p

bribed

v past

bribed

v past p

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

bribe /braɪb/   n., v., bribed, brib•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. money given to persuade someone to do something illegal:
   The customs official agreed to take a bribe.
2. anything given in order to influence:
   The babysitter had to give the child a bribe of an extra piece of cake.

v. 

3. to give or promise a bribe to: [~ + object]
   We tried to bribe the customs official.
   [~ + object + to + verb]
   We bribed him to let us go through.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

bribe  (brīb), n., v., bribed, brib•ing. 
n. 

1. money or any other valuable consideration given or promised with a view to corrupting the behavior of a person, esp. in that person's performance as an athlete, public official, etc.:
   The motorist offered the arresting officer a bribe to let him go.
2. anything given or serving to persuade or induce:
   The children were given candy as a bribe to be good.

v.t. 

3. to give or promise a bribe to:
   They bribed the reporter to forget about what he had seen.
4. to influence or corrupt by a bribe:
   The judge was too honest to be bribed.

v.i. 

5. to give a bribe;
   practice bribery.

• an expressive base *bri(m)b- denoting something small
• Middle French: remnant of food given as alms, said to be
• Middle English 1350–1400

brib′a•ble, bribe′a•ble, adj. 
brib′a•bil′i•ty, bribe′a•bil′i•ty, n. 
brib•ee′, n. 
brib′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

bribe / braɪb/ verb

1. to promise, offer, or give something, usually money, to (a person) to procure services or gain influence, esp illegally

noun

1. a reward, such as money or favour, given or offered for this purpose
2. any persuasion or lure

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French briber to beg, of obscure origin