What does bought mean?
"Bought" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "buy," meaning to obtain something in exchange for money. It is among the most frequently used irregular verb forms in English, appearing constantly in everyday speech and writing: people buy groceries, houses, tickets, and services, and afterwards they have bought them. Beyond its core verbal role, "bought" also functions adjectivally — a "bought loaf" contrasts with a homemade one, while phrases like "a bought jury" or "bought and paid for" carry a strong figurative charge, implying corruption or undue influence purchased with money rather than legitimately won. This figurative use gives the word a subtle moral dimension absent from neutral terms like "acquired." Because "bought" differs by only a single letter from "brought" (the past tense of "bring"), the two are commonly confused, particularly in rapid speech and typing, making the distinction a classic point of English usage instruction.
Past tense and past participle of buy; to have acquired something in exchange for money.
"He bought a used bicycle from his neighbour."
Standard in all contexts; the dialectal variant "boughten" is nonstandard.
(Of goods) obtained by purchase rather than made at home; figuratively, obtained through bribery or improper payment.
"She preferred fresh bread over anything bought from the supermarket."
Often implies a contrast between commercial and homemade or authentic alternatives.
One letter separates buying from bringing — which is why "I bought you flowers" and "I brought you flowers" are very different errands.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bought
"Bought" descends from the Old English verb "bycgan," meaning to buy or purchase, through regular sound change in Middle English. Like many common English verbs, "buy" formed its past tense by vowel change rather than by adding an ending, producing "bought" alongside similar patterns such as "bring/brought" and "seek/sought" (though these share only the pattern, not a common root). The word has been part of the language since the earliest recorded stages of English and remains unchanged in form across British and American varieties.
Related word forms
How bought is actually used
"Bought" is standard across all registers. In informal American English, some speakers say "boughten" as a past participle, but this is considered nonstandard. The adjective sense often carries a faint implication that something store-bought is less authentic than a handmade equivalent.
Easily confused with bought
"Brought" is the past tense of bring (carried to a place), while "bought" is the past tense of buy (purchased); they differ only in one letter.