What is bought? How to use in English

Discover the meaning of bought in English, its pronunciation, and how to use it correctly in real-life situations. See examples and easy memorization tips.

Definition & pronunciation of bought

boughtverb

mua

/bɔːt//bɔːt/

Where does the word bought come from?

The word "bought" traces its roots back to the Old English word "bēotan," meaning "to offer, to give, to promise." This word evolved into "bycgan," meaning "to buy," which then transitioned into "bouhten" in the past participle form. The modern word "bought" is directly descended from this "bouhten," reflecting the historical connection between buying and offering something in exchange. Interestingly, "bought" shares ancestry with "betoken," meaning to signify or indicate, highlighting the original concept of exchange as a form of communication or agreement.

Vocabulary summary bought

type(irregular) transitive verb bought

meaningfirst

meaning(figurative) pay for; achieve, get (something by some sacrifice)

meaningbribe (someone)

examplea good buy

typenoun

meaning(colloquial)

meaningpurchase

meaningpurchase

examplea good buy

Example of vocabulary boughtnamespace

  • Yesterday, I bought a new pair of shoes from the mall.
  • She bought a ticket to the concert online.
  • We bought a house in the suburbs last year.
  • My sister bought a car for her daughter's 18th birthday.
  • The grocery store has a great sale on apples today, so I bought a large bag.

Synonyms and related words for bought

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