buy

BY/baɪ/

Verbbuys, buying, bought

Noun pluralbuys

9 meanings of buy

Practice

1
pay to getverbtransitive
To get something by paying money for it, including paying for something such as a drink or meal for someone else.
They buy most of their vegetables from local farmers.
He bought a used car for far less than he expected.
Similarpurchase
Oppositesell
Note
The core commercial sense, and one that Old English bycgan already carried, alongside "pay for," "redeem" and "ransom."
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
Old English bycgan already meant to buy, pay for, redeem and ransom. en.wiktionary.org
2
believeverbcolloquialtransitive
To accept something as true; to believe it.
The investors didn't buy the company's rosy forecast for next year.
She bought the explanation without asking a single question.
UsageMost often in negatives and questions: I don't buy it, nobody will buy that story.
Similarbelieve, accept, swallow
Oppositedoubt, reject, disbelieve, question
3
a dealnouncountable
An item that someone has acquired through purchase.
The vintage record collection proved to be an excellent buy.
Given its condition and location, the house was a remarkable buy.
UsageUsually with a judging adjective: a good buy, a great buy, the best buy.
Similarpurchase, bargain, deal, acquisition, investment
4
nouncountablefinance
A rating in which an analyst tells investors to acquire a given stock or other investment.
Three analysts upgraded the chipmaker to a buy after its earnings report.
The bank kept its buy on the shares, pointing to strong cash flow.
UsageUsually rate a stock a buy, upgrade it to a buy, or keep a buy on the shares.
Oppositesell
Note
Analysts' ratings form a ladder, usually buy, hold and sell, often widened with strong buy or outperform. Seasoned investors read a buy with some caution, since sell ratings are comparatively rare and hold often serves as the polite negative.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
Buy, hold and sell are the usual basic analyst ratings. schwab.com
Analyst rating systems also use strong buy and outperform. sec.gov
Sell ratings are comparatively rare. insight.factset.com
Investors may interpret hold or neutral ratings as a tactful negative recommendation. finimize.com

Less common meanings

5
verbtransitive
To be exchangeable for a given amount of goods; to have a certain purchasing power.
Today a dollar won't buy what it did a decade ago.
Back then, a nickel bought a hot cup of coffee.
UsageThe money is the subject: a dollar won't buy much now.
Similarpurchase, get
6
bribeverbtransitive
To gain someone's cooperation or silence by paying them improperly.
You can't buy every witness in a trial this public.
The cartel had bought several local officials over the years.
Similarbribe, corrupt
7
gain by giving upverbtransitive
To obtain something, especially at the cost of a significant sacrifice.
Only real sacrifice can buy that kind of lasting peace.
Their resistance bought the city precious time to prepare its defenses.
UsageOften with two objects: something buys a person time; ironically, you buy yourself trouble.
Similarwin, gain, secure, earn, purchase
Note
Here the price is paid in something other than money. The figure is old. The Holy Bible of 1611 already urges readers to "buy the truth and sell it not."
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
The King James Bible was first published in 1611. bridwell.omeka.net
The figurative exhortation appears in Proverbs 23:23 of the 1611 Bible; the item modernizes the spelling and punctuation. kingjamesbibleonline.org
8
poker bluffverbslangtransitive
In poker, to win a pot by bluffing, usually with a large bet that makes opponents fold better hands.
Good players occasionally buy a pot they have no business winning.
He bought the pot with a massive all-in bluff.
UsageUsually buy the pot or buy a pot.
Similarsteal
Note
Poker reshapes the object: a player buys the pot, not the bluff, by betting so heavily that opponents fold better hands.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
In this poker sense, a player buys the pot by bluffing. pokerstars.com
Buying the pot involves betting heavily to make opponents fold. americascardroom.eu
A successful bluff induces opponents to fold better hands. en.wikipedia.org
9
verbarchaictransitive
To suffer the consequences of something by being deprived of something; to pay for one's actions.
VVhat villaine, doſt ſtrike me? I ſweare by the rood, As I am Iacke Strawe, thou ſhalt buy it with thy blood.
1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw
Note
An archaic, harsher cousin of the "at a sacrifice" meaning. The object is the wrongdoing, and the price is a punishment, usually introduced by with. The anonymous Life and Death of Iacke Straw (1593) threatens "thou shalt buy it with thy blood." Present-day English says pay for instead, so buy used this way reads as deliberately old-fashioned or literary.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
The Life and Death of Iacke Straw is anonymous. en.wiktionary.org
The first edition bears the title-page year 1593; its colophon is dated 1594. gutenberg.org
The quotation occurs in Act I, spoken by Jack Straw to the collector. gutenberg.org

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of buy apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

The source is bycġan, an Old English verb meaning "to buy, pay for, acquire," which became Middle English byen. It goes back to Proto-Germanic *bugjaną, and nothing certain is known beyond that. The u in the spelling is from southwestern English, and the "by" sound is from the East Midlands.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 6 facts

Buy derives from the Old English verb bycġan, meaning "to buy, pay for, acquire." kaikki.org
Old English bycġan developed into Middle English byen. en.wiktionary.org
The word descends from Proto-Germanic *bugjaną. en.wiktionary.org
The origin before Proto-Germanic is uncertain. en.wiktionary.org
The spelling with u comes from southwestern English. kaikki.org
The modern pronunciation comes from the East Midlands. kaikki.org