be bought

[/bi: bɔːt/]
verb phrase
ser comprado
1. to be purchased or acquired in exchange for money
The house was bought by a wealthy investor.
A casa foi comprada por um investidor rico.
2. to be bribed or corrupted (figurative)
He claimed that the witness could be bought.
Ele alegou que a testemunha podia ser subornada.
3. to be accepted or believed (informal, usually negative)
That excuse won't be bought by anyone.
Essa desculpa não será aceita por ninguém.
In both Brazilian Portuguese and English-speaking contexts, 'be bought' can refer literally to commercial transactions or figuratively to corruption and bribery. The figurative meaning has strong connotations of dishonesty and is commonly used in discussions of politics and ethics in both cultures.
NYC Slang
be got/be had (informal, meaning to be tricked or deceived)
Synonyms / Sinônimos
be purchasedbe acquiredbe bribedbe corrupted
Antonyms / Antônimos
be soldbe rejectedremain unsold

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ser comprado
most common and neutral usage
Rio de Janeiro
ser comprado
standard usage; informal contexts may use 'ser trocado'
São Paulo
ser comprado
standard business and formal usage
Portugal
ser comprado
identical usage to Brazilian Portuguese

Related Words

buypurchaseacquirebribecorrupttransactioncommerce

Related Idioms & Phrases

be bought and paid for (to be completely under someone's control)
be bought off (to be bribed into silence or cooperation)
can't be bought (to be incorruptible)
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