Definition

1. Verb:

   • To bid more than the object is worth: To offer a price, especially in an auction or competitive tender, that exceeds the perceived or actual value of the item or contract.
   • To bid for more tricks than one can expect to win: In card games like bridge, to make a declaration (a bid) that commits to winning more tricks than one's hand is likely to achieve.

2. Noun:

   • A bid that is higher than preceding bids: An offer that exceeds a previous offer in a competitive bidding process.
   • (Bridge) A bid that is higher than your opponent's bid: Specifically in the card game bridge, a bid that surpasses the last bid made by an opposing player, particularly noted when it exceeds the strength of the bidder's own hand.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • In his excitement, he overbid for the antique vase and paid far too much.
  • A novice player might overbid in bridge, promising more tricks than their cards can deliver.

• Noun:

  • The final overbid secured the construction contract for the company.
  • His overbid of three spades was quickly doubled by the opponents, who knew he was bluffing.

Advanced Usage

• "To overbid one's hand": An idiom primarily from bridge and similar games, meaning to make a bid based on an overly optimistic assessment of one's cards. It can be used metaphorically.
  • Metaphorically: By promising a complete redesign in two weeks, the manager overbid his hand.

Variants and Related Words

• Overbidding (gerund/noun): The action or instance of making an overbid.
  • His frequent overbidding at auctions was a costly habit.
• Overbidder (noun): A person who overbids.
  • The auctioneer identified the overbidder who had driven the price up.

Synonyms

• Outbid: To bid higher than someone else (focuses on beating another's bid, not necessarily on exceeding value).
• Overvalue: To assign too high a value to something (broader, not specific to bidding).

Related Phrases

• Pay over the odds: An idiom meaning to pay more than something is worth, similar in concept to the verb 'overbid'.
  • Because it was a rare model, he had to pay over the odds for the car.

Noun

1. (bridge) a bid that is higher than your opponent's bid (especially when your partner has not bid at all and your bid exceeds the value of your hand)
2. a bid that is higher than preceding bids

Verb

1. bid more than the object is worth
2. to bid for more tricks than one can expect to win,