invite

/in'vait /
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invite

She sent an invite to her friend for the birthday party.

Definition
  1. Verb:

    • To ask someone politely to come somewhere or to do something: The core meaning of "invite" is to extend a courteous request for someone's presence or participation.
    • To make a formal or polite request for something: "Invite" can also mean to solicit or request something, such as submissions or opinions.
    • To encourage or tend to cause (something, often negative): "Invite" can mean to act in a way that makes a particular, often undesirable, outcome more likely.
    • To attract or tempt: "Invite" can describe something that is appealing and draws someone in.
  2. Noun (Informal):

    • An invitation: In casual speech, "invite" is used as a short form for "invitation."
Examples of Usage
  • Verb:

    • I would like to invite you to my wedding. (I am asking you politely to attend my wedding.)
    • The professor invited questions from the audience. (The professor politely asked for questions.)
    • Leaving your car unlocked invites trouble. (That action makes trouble more likely.)
    • The cozy fireplace invites you to sit and relax. (The fireplace attracts you to sit down.)
  • Noun (Informal):

    • Did you get an invite to the party? (Did you receive an invitation to the party?)
Advanced Usage
  • "Invite in": To ask someone to enter a place.

    • She saw him waiting outside and invited him in. (She asked him to come inside.)
  • "Invite out": To ask someone to go somewhere with you, especially socially.

    • He was too shy to invite her out for coffee. (He was too shy to ask her to go for coffee with him.)
  • "Invite over": To ask someone to come to your home.

    • We should invite the new neighbors over for dinner. (We should ask the new neighbors to come to our house for dinner.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Invitation (n): The formal noun for a spoken or written request to attend or do something.

    • I received a formal invitation to the gala.
  • Inviting (adj): Appealing, attractive, or tempting.

    • The dessert looked very inviting.
Synonyms
  • Ask: To request something from someone.
  • Request: To politely or formally ask for something.
  • Solicit: To seek to obtain something from someone.
  • Encourage: To make something more likely to happen.
  • Welcome: To greet someone warmly, often implying an invitation.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Invite along: To ask someone to accompany you to a place or event.

    • You can invite a friend along if you want. (You can ask a friend to come with you.)
  • Invite back: To ask someone to return, especially to your home after being out.

    • After the movie, they invited us back for a drink. (They asked us to return to their house.)
Related Idioms
  • Invite comparison: To cause people to make comparisons.

    • Her brilliant performance invites comparison with the great actors of the past. (It causes people to compare her to them.)
  • Invite disaster: To act in a way that is very likely to cause a serious problem.

    • Driving that fast in the rain is inviting disaster. (It is making a crash very likely.)
invite

She sent an invite to her friend for the birthday party.

Noun
  1. a colloquial expression for invitation
    • he didn't get no invite to the party
Verb
  1. express willingness to have in one's home or environs
    • The community warmly received the refugees
  2. request the participation or presence of
    • The organizers invite submissions of papers for the conference
  3. ask to enter
    • We invited the neighbors in for a cup of coffee
  4. have as a guest
    • I invited them to a restaurant
  5. ask someone in a friendly way to do something
  6. give rise to a desire by being attractive or inviting
    • the window displays tempted the shoppers
  7. invite someone to one's house
    • Can I invite you for dinner on Sunday night?
  8. increase the likelihood of
    • ask for trouble
    • invite criticism