Definition of 'buy'

Word Frequency

buy

(baɪ )

Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense buys , present participle buying , past tense, past participle bought

1. verb

If you buy something, you obtain it by paying money for it.

He could not afford to buy a house. [VERB noun]

They can now be bought fresh in supermarkets. [VERB noun]

Lizzie bought herself a mountain bike. [V pron-refl n]

I'd like to buy him lunch. [VERB noun noun]

Synonyms: purchase, get, score [slang], secure More Synonyms of buy

2. verb

If you talk about the quantity or standard of goods an amount of money buys, you are referring to the price of the goods or the value of the money.

About £70,000 buys a habitable house around here. [VERB noun]

If the pound's value is high, British investors will spend their money abroad because the pound will buy them more. [VERB noun noun]

3. verb

If you buy something like time, freedom, or victory, you obtain it but only by offering or giving up something in return.

It was a risky operation, but might buy more time. [VERB noun]

For them, affluence was bought at the price of less freedom in their work environment. [VERB noun]

4. verb [usually passive]

If you say that a person can be bought, you are criticizing the fact that they will give their help or loyalty to someone in return for money.

[disapproval]

Once he shows he can be bought, they settle down to a regular payment. [be VERB-ed]

5. verb

If you buy an idea or a theory, you believe and accept it.

[informal]

I'm not buying any of that nonsense. [VERB noun]

Synonyms: accept, believe, trust, credit More Synonyms of buy

Buy into means the same as buy.

I bought into the popular myth that when I got the next house, I'd finally be happy. [VERB PARTICLE noun]

6. countable noun

If something is a good buy, it is of good quality and not very expensive.

This was still a good buy even at the higher price.

Synonyms: purchase, deal [informal], bargain, acquisition More Synonyms of buy

Phrasal verbs:

See buy into

See buy off

See buy out

See buy up

Video: pronunciation of
buy

buy in British English

(baɪ )

verbWord forms: buys, buying or bought (mainly tr)

to acquire by paying or promising to pay a sum of money or the equivalent; purchase

to be capable of purchasing

money can't buy love

to acquire by any exchange or sacrifice

to buy time by equivocation

4. (intransitive)

to act as a buyer

to bribe or corrupt; hire by or as by bribery

6. slang

to accept as true, practical, etc

7. (intransitive; foll by into)

to purchase shares of (a company)

we bought into General Motors

8. (transitive) theology

(esp of Christ) to ransom or redeem (a Christian or the soul of a Christian)

9. have bought it

noun

10.

a purchase (often in the phrases good or bad buy)

▶ USAGE The use of off after buy as in I bought this off my neighbour was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable in informal contexts

Word origin

Old English bycgan; related to Old Norse byggja to let out, lend, Gothic bugjan to buy

Word Frequency

buy in American English

(baɪ )

verb transitiveWord forms: bought or ˈbuying

to get by paying or agreeing to pay money or some equivalent; purchase

to get as by an exchange

buy victory with human lives

to be the means of purchasing

all that money can buy

to bribe or hire as by bribing

5. US, Slang

to accept as true, valid, practical, etc.

I can't buy this excuse

6. Theology; Archaic

to redeem

verb intransitive

to buy something

to buy merchandise as a buyer

noun

the act of buying; a purchase

10.

anything bought or buyable, esp. with reference to its worth as a bargain

a good (or bad) buy

11. US, Informal

something worth the price; bargain

Idioms:

buy in

buy it

buy up

Derived forms

buyable (ˈbuyable)

adjective

Word origin

ME bien < OE bycgan < ? IE base of bow1

Example sentences including
buy

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I buy something to eat on the way home, cook it, watch TV, read a book.In a way...' `They're looking to buy something through an associate of yours.Two and a half billion dollars tended to buy respectability, regardless of how such a fortune was amassed.