offer
[verb]
Synonyms:
- bid, proffer, tender
- provide, afford, furnish, present
- propose, advance, submit, suggest
- volunteer, come forward, offer one's services
[noun]
Synonyms:
- bid, proposal, proposition, submission, suggestion, tender

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Contrasted words: accept, receive, take, decline, refuse, reject
Related Words: display, exhibit, show

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. of‧fer¹ S1 W1 /ˈɒfə $ ˈɒːfər, ˈɑː-/ verb
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: offrir, from Latin offerre, from ferre 'to carry']

1. [transitive] to ask someone if they would like to have something, or to hold something out to them so that they can take it
offer somebody something
Can I offer you something to drink?
They offered him a very good job, but he turned it down.
offer something to somebody
Maureen lit a cigarette and offered one to Lucy.
The drama school offers places to students who can show talent.

2. [intransitive and transitive] to say that you are willing to do something:
I don’t need any help, but it was nice of you to offer.
offer to do something
My dad has offered to pick us up.
The newspaper offered to apologise for the article.

3. [transitive] to provide something that people need or want
offer advice/help/support etc
Your doctor should be able to offer advice on diet.
offer an opportunity/chance/possibility
The course offers the opportunity to specialize in the final year.
A number of groups offer their services free of charge.
The Centre offers a wide range of sports facilities.
offer something to somebody
I did what I could to offer comfort to the family.

4. have something to offer (somebody) to have qualities, opportunities etc that people are likely to want or enjoy:
Canada has much to offer in terms of location and climate.
He felt he had nothing to offer her that she wanted.

5. [transitive] to say that you are willing to pay a particular amount of money for something
offer (somebody) something for something
They’ve offered us £75,000 for the house.
The police are offering a reward for any information.

6. offer (up) a prayer/sacrifice etc to pray to God or give something to God

7. offer itself formal if an opportunity to do something offers itself, it becomes available to you:
I’ll raise the subject when a suitable occasion offers itself.

8. offer your hand (to somebody) to hold out your hand in order to shake hands with someone

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. offer² S2 W1 noun [countable]

1. a statement saying that you are willing to do something for someone or give them something
offer of
I can’t turn down the offer of a free trip to Milan!
offer to do something
His offer to resign will be accepted.

2. an amount of money that you are willing to pay for something:
Will you accept their offer?
make (somebody) an offer (for/on something) (=offer a particular amount of money for something)
Within 20 minutes they were prepared to make us an offer.
The company made an offer of $5 million for the site.
a generous/good offer
‘I’ll be interested if Newcastle make me a good offer,’ said the 25-year-old striker.
be open to offers (=be ready to consider people’s offers and lower your original price)
We’re asking £2,500, but we’re open to offers. ⇒ o.n.o.

3. a reduction of the price of something in a shop for a short time ⇒ discount:
All special offers advertised in this brochure are subject to availability.
offer on
There’s a free offer on orders over £45.
To take advantage of this offer (=buy something at the reduced price), complete the attached forms.

4. on offer
a) available to be bought, chosen, or used:
Activities on offer include sailing, rowing, and canoeing.
I was impressed with the designs on offer.
b) British English for sale for a short time at a cheaper price than usual:
Lean minced beef is on offer this week.

5. under offer British English if a house that is for sale is under offer, someone has offered to buy it for a particular price

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

offer
noun
I. of help or sth that is needed
ADJ. generous, kind | conditional, unconditional | job | peace
VERB + OFFER make (sb) He made me an offer I simply couldn't refuse
withdraw | accept, take up | decline, refuse, turn down
PREP. on ~ the range of goods on offer
~ from I had to turn down a job offer from a theatre because the pay was too low.
~ of They refused our offer of help.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

offer
II. special price/deal
ADJ. special | cheap | free I got the conditioner in a free offer with my shampoo.
introductory Your first order is delivered free as an introductory offer.
PREP. on ~ We have a number of bargains on offer.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

offer
III. amount of money
ADJ. acceptable, attractive, fair, favourable, reasonable | tempting | high, low We realized we would not get a higher offer.
final, initial | firm, formal Several people have made enquiries but no one has made a firm offer.
lucrative | pay | takeover | cash
VERB + OFFER make (sb), put in | withdraw | get, receive | listen to I'll listen to any reasonable offer.
accept | reject, turn down | increase, up They just kept upping their offer until I had to say yes.
OFFER + NOUN price
PREP. under ~ The property is currently under offer to a client.
~ for Several people put in an offer for the house.
~ of They accepted our offer of £80,000.
PHRASES be open to offers The asking price is £500 but I'm open to offers.
or near offer They are selling their car for £2,500 or near offer.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

offer
verb
I. give/provide sth; ask if sb would like sth
ADV. generously, kindly | helpfully | impulsively ‘Do you need any help?’ he offered impulsively.
VERB + OFFER be able/unable to, can/could the protection that life insurance can offer
appear to, seem to The plan seemed to offer real advantages.
fail to | be pleased to (formal), would like to I refer to your recent application and interview and am pleased to offer you the post of editor.
aim to, seek to | claim to They claim to offer a more comprehensive service than other firms.
be expected to, be likely to This investment is likely to offer a higher return.
be/feel compelled to, be forced to, be/feel obliged to She felt obliged to offer him a bed for the night.
have little/a lot/nothing, etc. to, have sth to This player has proved that he still has a lot to offer (= can still play well). The open evening is a chance to see what the college has to offer students.
PREP. to She offered drinks to her guests.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

offer
II. say that you will pay a certain amount
VERB + OFFER be able/unable to, can/could | be prepared to, be ready to, be willing to Would they be prepared to offer any more?
PREP. for They have offered over £500,000 for the house.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

offer

accept an offer (=say yes to it)
Are you going to accept their offer?
take up an offer/take somebody up on their offer British English (=accept someone's offer)
I might take him up on his offer.
turn down/refuse/reject/decline an offer (=say no to it)
She declined the offer of a lift.
get/receive an offer
He received the offer of a place at Cambridge University.
withdraw an offer
They suddenly withdrew their offer at the last minute.
a job offer
I still did not have a formal job offer.
a kind/generous offer
We are grateful for your kind offer.
They were surprised by his generous offer to let them stay at his place.
an offer of help/support/friendship etc
Any offers of help would be appreciated.
I appreciate your offer (=I am grateful for it - used especially when politely refusing someone's offer)
I appreciate your offer, but I don’t need any help.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

offer
verb
1.
BAD: Her parents have offered me to go on holiday with them.
GOOD: Her parents have invited me to go on holiday with them.

Usage Note:
offer to do sth = express willingness to do something: 'She's offered to help me.'
invite sb to (do) sth = ask someone if they would like to come to a party, wedding, etc, or join you in a social activity: 'Have you invited Mark and Valerie to the party?'

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2.
BAD: The old man then offered something to eat to the little boy.
GOOD: The old man then offered the little boy something to eat.

Usage Note:
The usual pattern is offer sb sth (offer + indirect object + direct object): 'He offered me a job.' 'They've offered Maria a place on the intermediate course.'
Use offer something to someone only when the direct object is a pronoun or is much shorter than the indirect object: 'She offered it to George but he didn't want it.' 'I offered the apple to the first child that could answer my question.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲