Library / English Dictionary

OFFER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: offer   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A usually brief attempt

Example:

I gave it a whirl

Synonyms:

crack; fling; go; offer; pass; whirl

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("offer" is a kind of...):

attempt; effort; endeavor; endeavour; try (earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Something offered (as a proposal or bid)

Example:

noteworthy new offerings for investors included several index funds

Synonyms:

offer; offering

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("offer" is a kind of...):

content; message; subject matter; substance (what a communication that is about something is about)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "offer"):

twofer (an offer of two for the price of one)

olive branch; peace offering (something offered to an adversary in the hope of obtaining peace)

special (a special offering (usually temporary and at a reduced price) that is featured in advertising)

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)

reward (the offer of money for helping to find a criminal or for returning lost property)

tender offer (an offer to buy shares in a corporation (usually above the market price) for cash or securities or both)

prospectus (a formal written offer to sell securities (filed with the SEC) that sets forth a plan for a (proposed) business enterprise)

bid; tender (a formal proposal to buy at a specified price)

counteroffer (an offer made by someone who has rejected a prior offer)

proposition (an offer for a private bargain (especially a request for sexual favors))

marriage offer; marriage proposal; proposal; proposal of marriage (an offer of marriage)

contract offer (offer by an employer to contract to pay an employee at a given rate)

Derivation:

offer (propose a payment)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The verbal act of offering

Example:

a generous offer of assistance

Synonyms:

offer; offering

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("offer" is a kind of...):

speech act (the use of language to perform some act)

Derivation:

offer (make available or accessible, provide or furnish)

offer (present for acceptance or rejection)

offer (offer verbally)

offer (make available; provide)

offer (agree freely)

offer (present as an act of worship)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Put forward for consideration

Example:

He offered his opinion

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

project; propose (present for consideration, examination, criticism, etc.)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

offering (something offered (as a proposal or bid))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Threaten to do something

Example:

I offered to leave the committee if they did not accept my proposal

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

threaten (to utter intentions of injury or punishment against)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Ask (someone) to marry you

Example:

The old bachelor finally declared himself to the young woman

Synonyms:

declare oneself; offer; pop the question; propose

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

request (ask (a person) to do something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s to somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Produce or introduce on the stage

Example:

The Shakespeare Company is offering 'King Lear' this month

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

bring on; bring out; produce (bring onto the market or release)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make available or accessible, provide or furnish

Example:

The hotel offers private meeting rooms

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

furnish; provide; render; supply (give something useful or necessary to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "offer"):

accost; hook; solicit (approach with an offer of sexual favors)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sentence examples:

They offer cars to the tourists

They offer the tourists their cars

Derivation:

offer (the verbal act of offering)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Present for acceptance or rejection

Example:

She offered us all a cold drink

Synonyms:

offer; proffer

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

give (transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "offer"):

tender (make a tender of; in legal settlements)

give (proffer (a body part))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

offeror; offerer (someone who presents something to another for acceptance or rejection)

offer (the verbal act of offering)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Make available for sale

Example:

The stores are offering specials on sweaters this week

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

market (engage in the commercial promotion, sale, or distribution of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "offer"):

put up (make available for sale at an auction)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 8

Meaning:

Offer verbally

Example:

He offered his sympathy

Synonyms:

extend; offer

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

give; pay (convey, as of a compliment, regards, attention, etc.; bestow)

Verb group:

extend; offer (make available; provide)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

offer; offering (the verbal act of offering)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Make available; provide

Example:

The bank offers a good deal on new mortgages

Synonyms:

extend; offer

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

furnish; provide; render; supply (give something useful or necessary to)

Verb group:

extend; offer (offer verbally)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

offer (the verbal act of offering)

Sense 10

Meaning:

Propose a payment

Example:

The Swiss dealer offered $2 million for the painting

Synonyms:

bid; offer; tender

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

"Offer" entails doing...:

bargain; dicker (negotiate the terms of an exchange)

Domain category:

auction; auction sale; vendue (the public sale of something to the highest bidder)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "offer"):

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)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

offer (something offered (as a proposal or bid))

Sense 11

Meaning:

Mount or put up

Example:

offer resistance

Synonyms:

offer; provide; put up

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

engage; wage (carry on (wars, battles, or campaigns))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 12

Meaning:

Agree freely

Example:

I offered to help with the dishes but the hostess would not hear of it

Synonyms:

offer; volunteer

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sentence examples:

They offer him to write the letter

They offer to move

Derivation:

offer (the verbal act of offering)

Sense 13

Meaning:

Present as an act of worship

Example:

offer prayers to the gods

Synonyms:

offer; offer up

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "offer" is one way to...):

worship (attend religious services)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "offer"):

sacrifice (make a sacrifice of; in religious rituals)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

offer (the verbal act of offering)

offering (the act of contributing to the funds of a church or charity)

Credits

 Context examples: 

She offered a piece to the Scarecrow, but he refused.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

I have already offered a reward of £ 1000.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“It is a princely offer,” said Holmes.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Messner did not offer his hand.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Hunters went back on me. He gave them a bigger lay. Heard him offering it. Did it right before me. Of course the crew gave me the go-by. That was to be expected.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The god was actually offering him another piece of meat.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

No one said a word about it, but Sallie offered to dress her hair, and Annie to tie her sash, and Belle, the engaged sister, praised her white arms.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

What I have to offer is little enough when measured by your ability, but when compared with Mawson’s, it’s light to dark.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Once a woman spoke to him, offering, I think, a box of lights.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Elinor's astonishment at this commission could hardly have been greater, had the Colonel been really making her an offer of his hand.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)