food or some other lure used to entice fish or other animals as prey, something used to entice or tempt a person into a trap

a red herring, to take the bait, to swallow the bait

rise to the bait, fish for compliments, throw someone off the scent

Formal and Informal Expressions of bait

In different contexts, you can replace 'bait' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'enticement, lure' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'come-on, hook' is a commonplace synonym.

bait: Explore its Definition & Usage

bait Definition

1food or some other lure used to entice fish or other animals as prey
2something used to entice or tempt a person into a trap

Using bait: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "bait" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

Example
The fisherman put a worm on his hook as bait.
Example
The thief used a diamond necklace as bait to lure the victim.
Example
The company offered a free trial as bait to attract new customers.
Example
The kidnappers used the victim's dog as bait to lure him out of his house.

bait Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for bait

Antonyms for bait

Idioms Using bait

a red herring
something that is intended to divert attention from the real problem or matter at hand
Example
The argument about the budget was just a red herring to distract us from the real issue.
to take the bait
to be tricked or deceived by someone or something
Example
I knew it was a scam, but I took the bait anyway and lost all my money.
to swallow the bait
to be tricked or deceived by someone or something
Example
He thought he had won the lottery, but he had actually swallowed the bait of a scam artist.

Phrases with bait

rise to the bait
to react to something in the way that was intended by the person who did it
Example
He tried to make me angry, but I didn't rise to the bait.
fish for compliments
to try to get people to say nice things about you
Example
She's always fishing for compliments about her appearance.
throw someone off the scent
to divert someone's attention away from what they are looking for
Example
He tried to throw the police off the scent by giving them false information.

Origins of bait

from Old Norse 'beit', meaning 'pasture' or 'food'

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Summary: bait in Brief

The term 'bait' [beɪt] refers to food or other lures used to entice animals as prey or to entice people into traps. Examples include using worms as bait for fishing or offering a free trial as bait to attract new customers. Idioms like 'to take the bait' and 'to swallow the bait' denote being tricked or deceived, while 'fish for compliments' means to seek praise.