bribe
[verb]
Synonyms:
- buy off, corrupt, grease the palm or hand of (slang), pay off (informal), reward, suborn
[noun]
Synonyms:
- inducement, allurement, backhander (slang), enticement, kickback (U.S.), pay-off (informal), sweetener (slang)

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Related Idioms: grease the palm (or hand), oil the palm (or hand), tickle the palm
Related Words: approach, corrupt, instigate, suborn, soften (up), sweeten

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. bribe¹ /braɪb/ verb [transitive]

1. to illegally give someone, especially a public official, money or a gift in order to persuade them to do something for you:
The only way we could get into the country was by bribing the border officials.
bribe somebody to do something
He bribed one of the guards to smuggle out a note.

2. to offer someone, especially a child, something special in order to persuade them to do something
bribe somebody with something
Sam wouldn’t do her homework until I bribed her with ice cream.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. bribe² noun [countable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: 'bread given to a beggar']

1. money or a gift that you illegally give someone to persuade them to do something for you:
The officials said that they had been offered bribes before an important game.
accept/take a bribe
A Supreme Court judge was charged with taking bribes.

2. something special offered to someone, especially a child, in order to persuade them to do something

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

bribe
noun
VERB + BRIBE give sb, offer (sb), pay sb He admitted paying bribes to police officers.
accept, take
PREP. in ~s He paid out millions of dollars in bribes.
~ of a bribe of £200

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

bribe

offer somebody a bribe
Some sportsmen have been offered bribes to perform badly.
accept/take a bribe
Any officials who accept bribes will face criminal charges.
give somebody a bribe
They issued passports to people who gave them bribes.
pay a bribe
It was claimed that the company paid bribes to win the contract.
bribe money
The mayor is accused of accepting bribe money.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

bribe
noun
BAD: He was accused of accepting bribe money.
GOOD: He was accused of accepting a bribe.

Usage Note:
a bribe (NOT bribe money ) = money or something valuable that is given to someone in an official position to persuade them to do something dishonest: 'As a police officer, what would you do if someone offered you a bribe?'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲