- to be an omen of (good or ill, esp of ill); portend; presage
- (transitive) archaic to predict; foretell
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
bode1 /boʊd/USA pronunciation v.
bode2 /boʊd/USA pronunciation v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- bod•ed, bod•ing. to be a sign or omen of;
signal;
portend:[~ + well/ill/evil + for]The promotion bodes well for his future.
bode2 /boʊd/USA pronunciation v.
- a pt. of bide.
bode1 (bōd),USA pronunciation v., bod•ed, bod•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
bode2 (bōd),USA pronunciation v.
v.t.
- to be an omen of;
portend:The news bodes evil days for him. - [Archaic.]to announce beforehand;
predict.
v.i.
- to portend:The news bodes well for him.
- Middle English boden, Old English bodian to announce, foretell (cognate with Old Norse botha), derivative of boda messenger, cognate with German Bote, Old Norse bothi bef. 1000
bode2 (bōd),USA pronunciation v.
- a pt. of bide.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
bode /bəʊd/ vb
bode /bəʊd/ vb
- the past tense of bide
bide /baɪd/USA pronunciation v. [no object], bid•ed or bode/boʊd/USA pronunciation bid•ed, bid•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to wait;
remain:We bided at home during the winter.
- Idiomsbide one's time, to wait for a favorable opportunity:bided his time, planning revenge.
bide (bīd),USA pronunciation v., bid•ed or bode;
bid•ed or (Archaic) bid;
bid•ing.
v.t.
v.i. bid′er, n.
bid•ed or (Archaic) bid;
bid•ing.
v.t.
- [Archaic.]to endure;
bear. - [Obs.]to encounter.
v.i.
- to dwell;
abide;
wait;
remain. - Idioms bide one's time, to wait for a favorable opportunity:He wanted to ask for a raise, but bided his time.
- Indo-European *bheidh-; the meaning apparently developed: have trust
endure wait abide remain - bef. 900; Middle English biden, Old English bīdan; cognate with Old Frisian bīdia, Old Saxon bīdan, Old High German bītan, Old Norse bītha, Gothic beidan, Latin fīdere, Greek peíthesthai to trust, rely
- 3. stay, linger, tarry.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
bide /baɪd/ vb (bides, biding, bided, bode, bided)
- (intransitive) archaic or dialect to continue in a certain place or state; stay
- (transitive) archaic or dialect to tolerate; endure
- bide one's time ⇒ to wait patiently for an opportunity
'bode' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):