bide one's time
Await the moment
To bide one's time is to wait patiently for the right moment to act.
The phrase implies strategic patience rather than passive delay—watching for an opportunity while appearing inactive: She bided her time until the competition weakened, then made her move.
Bide rarely appears outside this expression in modern English.
- waitDelay until later
- wait it outEndure until something passes
- sit tightWait without acting
- hold your horsesRequest for patience
- prepareMake ready beforehand
endure · plan · foresee · strategize · tolerate · linger · abide · hold off · lay low · watch and wait · anticipate · perseverance · patience · opportune · calculate · lie in wait · stoicism · envision
bide one's timerush in
Enter hastily and recklessly
seize the moment · jump the gun · spring into action · charge ahead · dive in
bide one's timelose patience
Become unable to tolerate
throw caution to the wind · fly off the handle · go off half-cocked · rush to judgment · shoot from the hip
bide, time, bides, bided, biding, times, timed, timing, timer