Bait (Verb)
Meaning 1
Harass with persistent criticism or carping; "The children teased the new teacher"; "Don't ride me so hard over my failure"; "His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a jacket and tie".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The media bait politicians over minor slip-ups in their public statements.
- She was constantly baited by her in-laws for not following their traditional customs.
- The opposition party did not stop baiting the government over the policy failures.
- Her colleagues liked to bait her because of her strict adherence to office rules.
- The public kept baiting the failed contestant on social media with negative comments.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Meaning 2
Attack with dogs or set dogs upon.
Classification
Verbs of fighting, athletic activities.
Examples
- The security team would bait the incoming protesters with vicious guard dogs if things escalated further.
- Bait the intruder with a pair of German shepherds, the head of security ordered over the radio.
- The medieval fortress was notorious for its moat and being willing to bait anyone who breached the walls with hunting hounds.
- If cornered, the men were instructed to bait their pursuers with an attack dog to give the rest of the group time to escape.
- The landowner had been known to bait any poacher that entered his grounds with large, vicious mastiffs that would hunt them down relentlessly.
Hypernyms
Meaning 3
Lure, entice, or entrap with bait.
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- Using flashy advertisements to bait customers into buying their products was the company's new marketing strategy.
- The phishing email was designed to bait unsuspecting users into revealing their passwords.
- She used her charm and good looks to bait men into doing her bidding.
- The scammers would bait vulnerable people with promises of easy money to get them to invest in their fake schemes.
- The salesperson tried to bait the potential buyer with a 'limited-time offer' to close the deal quickly.