bide your time
Wait for opportunity
To bide your time is to wait patiently for the right moment to act.
The phrase implies strategic restraint rather than passive delay—you're watching for an opportunity: She bided her time until the boss retired, then applied for the position.
Bide rarely appears outside this expression in modern English.
- waitDelay until later
- wait it outEndure until something passes
- sit tightWait without acting
- patienceCalm during delays
- lingerStay beyond necessity
hold · hold your fire · pause · hesitate · watch and wait · anticipate · lurk · lie in wait · snake in the grass · watchful · opportunity · moment · stillness · restraint · calculated · simmer · poised · hover
- strategystrategy, grand strategy, tactics, tactic, tactical
- time sayingscarpe diem, seize the day, better late than never, tempus fugit, haste makes waste
- holding firmhold, hold fast, hold firm, hold on, hold onto
bide your timerush in
Enter hastily and recklessly
jump the gun · seize the moment · pounce · spring into action · strike while the iron is hot
bide your timethrow caution to the wind
Act recklessly, disregarding consequences
fly off the handle · go off half-cocked · shoot from the hip · lose patience · wing it
bide your timeact now
Urgent call to proceed
seize the moment · rush in · jump the gun · make haste · hurry
bide, time, bides, bided, biding, times, timed, timing, timer