buy and corrupt share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. buy means “obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction”. corrupt means “corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality”. buy is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/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”
/kɚˈʌpt/
1.v.corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
“debauch the young people with wine and women”
2.v.make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
“This judge can be bought”
3.v.place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
“sully someone's reputation”
| buy | corrupt | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbaɪ/ | /kɚˈʌpt/ |
| Said | bahy | kur-UHPT |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Letters | 3 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb, adjective |
| Senses | 6 | 8 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | purchase | pervert, subvert, demoralize |
Full entry for buy · Full entry for corrupt · More comparisons