offer
/ˈɒfə
/verb
1 [with two objects] Present or proffer (something) for (someone) to accept or reject as desired: may I offer you a drink? I was offered a job on the spot...
- He said he hoped the people to whom the appeal's cash was offered would accept hand-outs in the spirit in which they were meant.
- It just said I was being considered and would I accept it if they offered it me.
- At present, most schools offer bursaries to children talented in music, sport or the arts.
Synonyms
provide, put forward, give, proffer, present, extend, suggest, recommend, propose, propound, advance, submit, tender, render, come up with
bid, tender, put in a bid of, put in an offer of
1.1 [reporting verb] Express readiness to do something for or on behalf of someone: [with infinitive]: he offered to fix the gate [with direct speech]: ‘Can I help you, dear?’ a kindly voice offered...
- This act reminds me of a kindly uncle who offers to read the children a bedtime story, and chooses Dracula.
- Two men driving a blue Transit van with ladders on its roof called to the home of the elderly couple offering to fix their guttering.
- After demolishing theirs, it became apparent that ours was in a perilous condition and he very kindly offered to help remedy the situation.
Synonyms
volunteer, volunteer one's services, be at someone's disposal, be at someone's service, make oneself available, present oneself, step/come forward, show willing
1.2 [with object] Make available for sale: the product is offered at a very competitive price...
- Still, in the run-up to Christmas it can be useful to be offered unsolicited products for sale.
- Refreshments will be available, and plants will be offered for sale.
- It offered the finest decor available when it opened in 1977 and has changed little since.
Synonyms
put up for sale, put on the market, sell, market, make available, put under the hammer, ask for bids for;
Law vend
1.3 [with object] (also offer something up) Present (a prayer or sacrifice) to a deity: villagers have gone to offer prayers for the souls of the sailors the three imams offer up prayers on behalf of the dead...
- If our prayer is offered up in full faith, we are assured, that it will be efficacious.
- On the next day when he offered the prayer they all offered it up with him and it was again talked about on the following morning.
- In order to calm a sea monster that hid on the bottom of the sea, a girl was offered up as a sacrifice each year.
Synonyms
sacrifice, offer up, immolate, give
2 [with object] Provide (access or an opportunity): the Coast Road offers easy access to the Nine Glens of Antrim the opportunities which the economic recovery will offer...
- Digitization offered new opportunities to providing access to these collections.
- We will also be offering opportunities for further career training for some of the young people.
- It is a highly rewarding career, offering unlimited opportunities but requires a high degree of commitment, dedication and hard work.
Synonyms
provide, afford, supply, give, furnish, present, give an opportunity for, purvey, make available, hold out
occur, present itself, arrive, appear, happen, show itself
2.1Make an attempt at or show one’s readiness for (violence or resistance): he had to offer some resistance to her tirade...
- Iraqi tanks came under withering fire, and Iraqi troops once again offered little resistance.
- In the gorge the remnants of the Taliban lines offered little resistance.
- Rosenborg should, on the face of it, offer little resistance to Madrid's progress to the quarter-finals.
Synonyms
attempt, try, give, show, express
formal essay
2.2 archaic Give an opportunity for (battle) to an enemy: Darius was about to meet him and to offer battle...
- James, refusing the advice of his senior staff to withdraw to the Shannon, offered William battle.
3 [with object] (offer something up) technical Put something in place to assess its appearance or fit: the infill panels are offered up and bolted in position
noun
1An expression of readiness to do or give something if desired: sympathetic offers of help [with infinitive]: he had accepted Mallory’s offer to buy him a drink...
- She is holding out accepting the job offer to see if she likes it.
- Many of the rest accepted the offer of amnesty offered to those who surrendered within twenty-four hours.
- At present this information is found out by would-be purchasers after their offer to buy a home has been accepted.
Synonyms
proposal, proposition, suggestion, submission, approach, overture
literary proffer
1.1An amount of money that someone is willing to pay for something: the prospective purchaser who made the highest offer...
- The current offer would not see drivers lose any money despite the reduced hours.
- The current salary offers are among the lowest in the current wage round.
- No one is revealing the exact amount of the offers, but rumours suggest that they are around $500,000.
Synonyms
bid, tender, bidding price
1.2A specially reduced price: the offer runs right up until Christmas Eve...
- Increased competition between the three mobile operators has led to greater prices and special offers in recent years.
- The figures were for regular shelf prices, with special offers excluded.
- So it's no surprise to see every major player in the market touting special offers.
1.3A proposal of marriage: the conceited wretch chose to interpret my amiability of temper his own way, and at length he actually made me an offer...
- The story concerns two cousins, Laura and Janette, who consider two offers of marriage extended to Laura.
- So he sighed and resigned himself to signing many autographs and tactfully declining many offers of marriage.
- How many offers of marriage and just sailing off into the sunset had she received, yet she couldn't just up and leave her family.
Phrases
have something to offer
offer one's hand
on offer
open to offers
Derivatives
offerer
/ (or offeror) noun ...- The premium is significantly below that which we would normally expect where an offeror is intending to privatise or increase its controlling stake in a listed company.
- This applies regardless of whether or not the identity of the offeror has been disclosed in the aforementioned announcement, he said.
- If, for example, the offeror becomes insolvent during that time, they've got your shares and you don't get the money.
Origin
Old English offrian 'sacrifice something to a deity', of Germanic origin, from Latin offerre 'bestow, present' (in ecclesiastical Latin 'offer to God'), reinforced by French offrir (which continued to express the primary sense). The noun (late Middle English) is from French offre.