Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

bought

American  
[bawt] / bɔt /

verb

  1. simple past tense and past participle of buy.

adjective

  1. South Midland and Southern U.S. store-bought.

bought British  
/ bɔːt /

verb

  1. the past tense and past participle of buy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. purchased from a shop; not homemade

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
bought Idioms  

  1. see under buy.

Other Word Forms

  • unbought adjective
  • well-bought adjective

Etymology

Origin of bought

First recorded before 900, for the adjective for an earlier sense

Compare meaning

How does bought compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“There was no competition,” said Eben Busa, who grew up next door to Hartford County and bought his first home in the area in 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Instead, it deducts it little by little over the projected useful life of the stuff being bought.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“I had a song that HBO bought for ‘Pause With Sam Jay.’

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

It’s frustrating because they’re in their 70s, bought their home about 40 years ago and were able to pay it off under very different economic conditions.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

"Dad and I bought a new rug for the living room in the new house," his mom said.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.