Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

nip in the bud

/ˈnɪp.ɪn.ðəˈbʌd/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.25 in modern English

Syllables: nip in the bud
IPA: /ˈnɪp.ɪn.ðəˈbʌd/

19

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

1

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To remove a bud (from a plant) to prevent flower and fruit from forming.

verb

To stop something at an early stage.

Example Sentences

"If you see a bad habit begin to develop, try to nip it in the bud so that it does not become ingrained."
"Ori. I do confeſs I'm too eaſie, too much Woman, / Not coy enough to take Affection, / Yet I can frown and nip a Paſſion, / Even in the Bud: I can ſay / Men pleaſe their preſent Heats; then pleaſe to leave Us."
"“I couldn’t be any more upset,” said Inge Bank, 82, who lives near the bar. “We have to nip it in the bud if the Nazi party is coming back."
"These myths need to be nipped in the bud before they become conventional wisdom."

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈnɪp.ɪn.ðəˈbʌd/
British English: /ˈnɪp.ɪn.ðəˈbʌd/

Inflected Forms

nips in the bud (present, singular) nipping in the bud (participle, present) nipped in the bud (participle, past) nipped in the bud (past) nip in the butt (alternative)

Questions

How do you pronounce nip in the bud?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈnɪp.ɪn.ðəˈbʌd/.
What does nip in the bud mean?: To remove a bud (from a plant) to prevent flower and fruit from forming.

How to pronounce nip in the bud

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