baɪd wʌnz taɪm
Time
neutral
advanced
- Literally:
- to stay or dwell within one's time
What does "bide one's time" mean?
to wait patiently for the right moment to act
Examples
- The chess player bided her time, waiting for her opponent to make a mistake.
- He bided his time at the company for years before applying for the director position.
- The cat bided its time, watching the mouse from behind the curtain.
Origin
From Old English 'bidan' meaning 'to wait.' 'Bide' survives almost exclusively in this idiom.
How to use it
Implies strategic patience rather than passive waiting.
Similar expressions
wait patiently
hold off
lie in wait
sit tight
Opposites
act impulsively
rush in
jump the gun
Related idioms
- in the long run
Over a long period of time
- better late than never
It's better to do something late than not to do it at all
- from time to time
occasionally, not regularly
- in the nick of time
Just in time; at the last possible moment
- run out of time
to have no more time left to do something
- time flies when you're having fun
Enjoyable moments seem to pass quickly
Use it in a practice answer
Try "bide one's time" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.