buy

Pronunciation

• enPR: bī, IPA ^(key): /baɪ/
• SAMPA: /baI/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (UK)

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• Homophones: bi, by, bye

Verb

Plain form buy

Third-person singular buys

Past tense bought

Past participle bought

Present participle buying

A woman buying drinks

1. (transitive & intransitive) If you buy something, you give money and the thing becomes yours.

   Could you buy some milk at the store?

   We sold the house and bought a small apartment near Lincoln Center.

   I stood in line all night to buy tickets for the show.

   My kids don't want to wear the clothes I buy for them.

   I can't afford to buy a new house.

   In 1960, Willard bought the business from his father.

   He bought the guitar for $150 on the internet.

2. (transitive) If money buys something, it is enough money to pay for it.

   $10 doesn't even buy a case of beer.

   $100 buys a nice dinner or a hotel for the night.

3. (transitive) If you buy (somebody) time, you stop something from happening soon so that you have time to prepare for it.

   She went to the washroom to buy time. She didn't want to answer before Kate arrived.

4. (transitive) If you buy an idea, you believe it.

   Your mother won't buy the story about getting lost.

   I can buy that your way works, but other ways might work too.

Synonyms

• get
• believe
• purchase

Antonyms

• sell

Related words

• buyer

Noun

Singular buy

Plural buys

1. (countable) A buy is something that someone has bought, usually for a cheap price.

   This dress was a good buy. It was on sale.

Synonyms

• purchase

Antonyms

• sale