Pronunciation

/bʌd/

Definitions

Noun

• 1. A small, undeveloped shoot or swelling on a plant, usually containing an embryonic leaf or flower: “The tree has formed a new bud.”
• 2. A young person’s beginning manifestation of a particular skill or talent: “She showed a musical bud at an early age.”
• 3. (slang) A plan or idea that is in its initial stages: “He has a business bud to start his own bakery.”

Verb

• To bud (colloquial): To start growing, emerge, or develop (as a new growth): “The plants are just beginning to bud after the winter.”

Adjective

• Budding (adjective): In the process of developing or showing promise: “A budding artist.”
• Bud-like (adjective): Resembling a bud in appearance or form: “Her eyes had a bud-like innocence.”

Phrases

• “bud off” (informal) means to leave or be dismissed.
• “bud up” (colloquial) means to grow or mature.
• “bud out” (horticulture) refers to a plant’s growth from a dormant state.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The cherry tree was covered in delicate pink buds in the spring.”
• Verb: “After months of hard work, her entrepreneurial bud finally blossomed.”
• Adjective: “His children are all budding scientists with a passion for learning.”

Synonyms

• Young
• Emerging
• Formative
• Developing
• nascent
• incipient
• Primordial

Antonyms

• Mature
• Fully grown
• Established
• Finished