bribe
/ˈbɹaɪb/
nounverb
Common
1.n.payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment
2.v.make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
“This judge can be bought”
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bribe and buy share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. bribe means “payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment”. buy means “obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction”. buy is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈbɹaɪb/
1.n.payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt his judgment
2.v.make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
“This judge can be bought”
/ˈbaɪ/
1.v.obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
“The family purchased a new car”
2.v.make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
“This judge can be bought”
3.v.be worth or be capable of buying
“This sum will buy you a ride on the train”
| bribe | buy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɹaɪb/ | /ˈbaɪ/ |
| Said | brahyb | bahy |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Letters | 5 | 3 |
| Parts of speech | noun, verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 2 | 6 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | payoff | purchase |
Full entry for bribe · Full entry for buy · More comparisons