bait

Language: en

🇬🇧 /ˈbeɪt/ 🇺🇸 /ˈbeɪt/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    Food or other substance placed on a hook or in a trap to lure and catch fish, animals, or other prey.; A lure or enticement used to attract someone into a trap or scheme; a decoy.; A stop for rest and refreshment during a journey, especially for horses.; A portion of food or drink taken as a light meal or snack, especially during a journey.; In computing and internet culture, content designed to provoke an emotional response or lure users into clicking, engaging, or revealing information.
  2. verb
    To place bait on a hook, in a trap, or in a location to lure animals or fish.; To lure, entice, or tempt someone into a trap or scheme.; To deliberately provoke, harass, or torment someone, often to elicit an angry or emotional reaction.; To set dogs or other animals upon a chained or confined animal for sport, as in bear-baiting or bull-baiting.; To give a horse or other animal food and rest during a journey.; To take a rest or refreshment during a journey.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable / uncountable Plural: baits 3rd sing.: baits Past: baited Past part.: baited Pres part.: baiting

Collocations

bait and switchtake the baitrise to the baitbait a hookbait a trapuse as bait

Derivatives

baiterbaiting

Synonyms

luredecoyenticementallurementsnare

Antonyms

repellent

Commonly confused

bate
EN: 'Bate' means to reduce or restrain (as in 'bated breath'); 'bait' is something used to lure or the act of luring/taunting.
lure
EN: 'Lure' emphasizes the attractive quality that draws someone in; 'bait' emphasizes the physical substance or object used to entice, especially in fishing or trapping.

Spelling tips

EN: Do not confuse 'bait' with 'bate' (as in 'bated breath'). 'Bait' always contains the 'i'.

💬 Examples

  1. He put a worm on the hook as bait for the fish.

  2. The police used a fake advertisement as bait to catch the fraudster.

  3. The travelers took a bait at the inn before continuing their journey.

  4. She packed a small bait of bread and cheese for the road.

  5. The article was clearly clickbait designed to generate ad revenue.

  6. She baited the mousetrap with a piece of peanut butter.

  7. The detective baited the suspect into confessing by pretending to have evidence.

  8. The trolls baited him online until he lost his temper and posted something regrettable.

  9. In medieval England, crowds would gather to watch men bait bears with dogs.

  10. They stopped at the posting house to bait the horses before pressing on.