bait

1 of 2

verb

ˈbāt 

baited; baiting; baits

transitive verb

1

a

: to persecute or exasperate with unjust, malicious, or persistent attacks

bait minority groups

: to try to make angry with criticism or insults

baiting a politician during a debate

b

: tease

2

a

: to harass (a chained animal, such as a bear) with dogs usually for sport

b

: to attack by biting and tearing

dogs baiting a fox

3

a

: to furnish with bait (see bait entry 2)

bait a fishing line

bait a trap

b

: entice, lure

baiting prospective buyers

4

: to give food and drink to (an animal) especially on the road

intransitive verb

archaic : to stop for food and rest when traveling

baiter noun

bait

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: something (such as food) used in luring especially to a hook or trap

using worms for bait

b

: a poisonous material placed where it will be eaten by harmful or objectionable animals

2

: lure, temptation

using bargains as bait for shoppers

Synonyms

Verb

• hassle
• haze
• heckle
• needle
• ride
• taunt
• tease

Noun

• decoy
• lure

Choose the Right Synonym for bait

bait, badger, heckle, hector, chivy, hound mean to harass by efforts to break down.

bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

Examples of bait in a Sentence

Verb

baiting hooks with live worms

The interviewer kept baiting the politician by asking him whether he was lying.

Noun

cheese used for bait in mousetraps

Wait until the fish takes the bait.

a wide selection of lures and baits

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Her constant baiting throughout the night—calling Trump a disgrace and needling him about the size of his rallies—successfully lured Trump into long tangents that are legible only to those steeped in an extended universe of right-wing viral grievance. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 11 Sep. 2024

With sharp ripostes and canny traps, Harris baited Trump into boasting about his crowd sizes, grousing about the 2020 election, and standing up for the rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol to thwart the peaceful transfer of power. —Brian Bennett, TIME, 11 Sep. 2024

Noun

Those who take the bait are remarkably compliant, diluting themselves between their internships and Canva presentations. —Michael J. Petrilli, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024

At one point, Trump took the bait on Harris’s claim that supporters leave his rallies bored and exhausted. —David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old Norse beita; akin to Old English bǣtan to bait, bītan to bite — more at bite

Noun

Middle English, from Old Norse beit pasturage & beita food; akin to Old English bītan to bite

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing bait

• bait and switch
• fish or cut bait
• red-bait

Kids Definition

bait

1 of 2 verb

ˈbāt 

1

: to torment by repeated attacks

2

: to torment (an animal) with dogs

3

: to put bait on or in

bait a hook

baiter noun

bait

2 of 2 noun

1

: something (as food) used to attract animals to a hook or into a trap

2

: a poisonous material put where it will be eaten by and kill harmful or undesirable animals

3

: lure sense 1, temptation

Etymology

Verb

Middle English baiten "to tease, torment," from an early Norse word originally meaning "to cause to bite"

Noun

Middle English bait "a lure," from two early Norse words, one meaning "pasture" and the other meaning "food"