bribe

noun
UK: /braɪb/
US: /braɪb/

  1. Money or a gift given to someone to persuade them to do something dishonest or illegal.

    1. He offered a bribe to the official to get the contract. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company was accused of paying bribes to secure the deal with the foreign government. [ ] [ ]

  2. Something that is offered or given to persuade someone to do something they would not otherwise do.

    1. I gave my son a candy as a bribe for behaving well. [ ] [ ]
    2. The politician's promises of tax cuts were seen as a bribe to win votes from the middle class. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

payoff kickback graft hush money
bribe verb

  1. To try to persuade someone to do something dishonest or illegal by giving them money or a gift.

    1. They tried to bribe the guard to let them in. [ ] [ ]
    2. He bribed the customs officer to avoid paying import taxes on the goods he was carrying. [ ] [ ]

  2. To influence someone's actions or decisions by offering something desirable.

    1. She bribed her kids with ice cream for good behavior. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company attempted to bribe potential clients with lavish gifts to secure the contract. [ ] [ ]
bribe adjective

  1. Acting as or pertaining to an inducement for illicit purposes, characterized by corruption.

    1. The bribe money was carefully counted. [ ] [ ]
    2. A bribe offer can lead to significant legal consequences and damage to reputation. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "bribe" in English means: Money or a gift given to someone to persuade them to do something dishonest or illegal., Something that is offered or given to persuade someone to do something they would not otherwise do..

The phonetic transcription of "bribe" is /braɪb/ in British English and /braɪb/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "bribe": payoff, kickback, graft, hush money.

Example usage of "bribe": "He offered a bribe to the official to get the contract.". More examples on the page.