offer

/ˈɑfər/

/ˈɒfə/
IPA guide

Other forms: offered; offering; offers

You make an offer when you present your willingness to do something. People selling a house wait for the best offer.

One person offers something, and another person accepts or rejects it. It's polite to offer guests something to drink and to offer a friend some space under your umbrella. A marriage proposal is a type of offer. A threat of violence is "an offer you can't refuse" in The Godfather. This word can mean a religious act as well, or — more grossly — the kind of offering a cat makes when it offers a dead mouse to its owner.

Definitions of offer
  1. verb
    present for acceptance or rejection
    “She offered us all a cold drink”
    synonyms: proffer
    see moresee less
    types:
    give
    proffer (a body part)
    tender
    make a tender of; in legal settlements
    type of:
    give
    transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody
  2. verb
    put forward for consideration
    “He offered his opinion”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    project, propose
    present for consideration, examination, criticism, etc.
  3. verb
    offer verbally
    “He offered his sympathy”
    synonyms: extend
    extend
    make available; provide
    see moresee less
    type of:
    give, pay
    convey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow
  4. verb
    ask (someone) to marry you
    synonyms: declare oneself, pop the question, propose
    see moresee less
    type of:
    request
    ask (a person) to do something
  5. verb
    threaten to do something
    “I offered to leave the committee if they did not accept my proposal”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    threaten
    utter intentions of injury or punishment against
  6. verb
    agree freely
    “I offered to help with the dishes but the hostess would not hear of it”
    synonyms: volunteer
    see moresee less
    type of:
    act, move
    perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
  7. verb
    propose a payment
    “The Swiss dealer offered $2 million for the painting”
    synonyms: bid, tender
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 6 types...
    hide 6 types...
    by-bid
    bid on behalf of someone else
    subscribe
    offer to buy, as of stocks and shares
    overbid
    bid more than the object is worth
    underbid
    bid too low
    outbid
    bid higher than others
    underbid
    bid lower than a competing bidder
  8. verb
    produce or introduce on the stage
    “The Shakespeare Company is offering `King Lear' this month”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    bring on, bring out, produce
    bring onto the market or release
  9. noun
    the verbal act of offering
    “a generous offer of assistance”
    synonyms: offering
    see moresee less
    type of:
    speech act
    the use of language to perform some act
  10. noun
    something offered (as a proposal or bid)
    synonyms: offering
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 17 types...
    hide 17 types...
    contract offer
    offer by an employer to contract to pay an employee at a given rate
    marriage offer, marriage proposal, proposal, proposal of marriage
    an offer of marriage
    proposition
    an offer for a private bargain (especially a request for sexual favors)
    counteroffer
    an offer made by someone who has rejected a prior offer
    bid, tender
    a formal proposal to buy at a specified price
    prospectus
    a formal written offer to sell securities (filed with the SEC) that sets forth a plan for a (proposed) business enterprise
    tender offer
    an offer to buy shares in a corporation (usually above the market price) for cash or securities or both
    reward
    the offer of money for helping to find a criminal or for returning lost property
    rights issue, rights offering
    an offering of common stock to existing shareholders who hold subscription rights or pre-emptive rights that entitle them to buy newly issued shares at a discount from the price at which they will be offered to the public later
    special
    a special offering (usually temporary and at a reduced price) that is featured in advertising
    olive branch, peace offering
    something offered to an adversary in the hope of obtaining peace
    twofer
    an offer of two for the price of one
    takeover bid
    an offer to buy shares in order to take over the company
    question
    an informal reference to a marriage proposal
    overbid
    a bid that is higher than preceding bids
    buyout bid
    a bid to buy all of a person's holdings
    price
    a monetary reward for helping to catch a criminal
    type of:
    content, message, subject matter, substance
    what a communication that is about something is about
  11. verb
    make available or accessible, provide or furnish
    “The conference center offers a health spa”
    “The hotel offers private meeting rooms”
    see moresee less
    types:
    hook, solicit
    approach with an offer of sexual favors
    type of:
    furnish, provide, render, supply
    give something useful or necessary to
  12. verb
    make available; provide
    “The bank offers a good deal on new mortgages”
    synonyms: extend
    extend
    offer verbally
    see moresee less
    type of:
    furnish, provide, render, supply
    give something useful or necessary to
  13. verb
    make available for sale
    “The stores are offering specials on sweaters this week”
    see moresee less
    types:
    put up
    make available for sale at an auction
    type of:
    market
    engage in the commercial promotion, sale, or distribution of
  14. verb
    present as an act of worship
    “offer prayers to the gods”
    synonyms: offer up
    see moresee less
    types:
    sacrifice
    make a sacrifice of; in religious rituals
    immolate
    offer as a sacrifice by killing or by giving up to destruction
    type of:
    worship
    attend religious services
  15. verb
    mount or put up
    “offer resistance”
    synonyms: provide, put up
    see moresee less
    type of:
    engage, wage
    carry on (wars, battles, or campaigns)
  16. noun
    a usually brief attempt
    synonyms: crack, fling, go, pass, whirl
    see moresee less
    type of:
    attempt, effort, endeavor, endeavour, try
    earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
Pronunciation
US

/ˈɑfər/
UK

/ˈɒfə/
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