nip in the bud

UK, US/ˈnɪp.ɪn.ðəˈbʌd/

verb

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

“If you see a bad habit begin to develop, try to nip it in the bud so that it does not become ingrained.”

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Meanings

verbnip in the bud (third-person singular simple present nips in the bud, present participle nipping in the bud, simple past and past participle nipped in the bud)

present singular third person nips in the bud · participle present nipping in the bud · participle past nipped in the bud · past nipped in the bud · alternative nip in the butt

  1. To remove a bud (from a plant) to prevent flower and fruit from forming.
  2. idiomaticTo stop something at an early stage.

    If you see a bad habit begin to develop, try to nip it in the bud so that it does not become ingrained.

    3 more examples

    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.

    1606, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, The Woman Hater, published 1718, act III, scene I

    “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.

    2020 February 21, Agence France-Presse, “Germany shooting: chants of 'Nazis out' at vigils after gunman kills nine”, in The Guardian

    These myths need to be nipped in the bud before they become conventional wisdom.

    2020 July 1, Christian Wolmar, “Jumping on the slavery bandwagon... but the facts don't stack up”, in Rail, page 66

Translations

Bengali অঙ্কুরে বিনাশ করা
  • অঙ্কুরে বিনাশ করা (oṅkure binaś kora)to prevent at an early stage
Bulgarian убивам в зародиш
  • убивам в зародиш (ubivam v zarodiš)to prevent at an early stage
Czech udusit v zárodku
  • udusit v zárodkuto prevent at an early stage
Danish tage i opløbet, kvæle i fødslen
  • tage i opløbetto prevent at an early stage
  • kvæle i fødslento prevent at an early stage
Dutch in de kiem smoren
  • in de kiem smorento prevent at an early stage
Finnish kitkeä
  • kitkeäto prevent at an early stage
French étouffer dans l'œuf, tuer dans l'œuf
  • étouffer dans l'œufto prevent at an early stage
  • tuer dans l'œufto prevent at an early stage
German den Anfängen wehren, im Keim ersticken
  • den Anfängen wehrento prevent at an early stage
  • im Keim erstickento prevent at an early stage
  • etwas nicht einreißen lassento prevent at an early stage
Hungarian csírájában elfojt
  • csírájában elfojtto prevent at an early stage
Irish rud a mharú san ubh, rud a stopadh ina thús
  • rud a mharú san ubhto prevent at an early stage
  • rud a stopadh ina thústo prevent at an early stage
Italian troncare sul nascere, stroncare sul nascere
  • troncare sul nascereto prevent at an early stage
  • stroncare sul nascereto prevent at an early stage
Korean 싹을 자르다
  • 싹을 자르다 (ssageul jareuda)to prevent at an early stage
Norwegian Bokmål knipe, ta ved roten
  • knipeTo remove a bud from a plant
  • ta ved rotento prevent at an early stage
Persian در نطفه خفه کردن
  • در نطفه خفه کردن (dar notfe xafe kardan)to prevent at an early stage
Polish zniszczyć w zarodku
  • zniszczyć w zarodkuto prevent at an early stage
Portuguese cortar pela raiz
  • cortar pela raizto prevent at an early stage
Russian пресе́чь в ко́рне, подави́ть в заро́дыше
  • пресе́чь в ко́рне (preséčʹ v kórne)to prevent at an early stage
  • подави́ть в заро́дыше (podavítʹ v zaródyše)to prevent at an early stage
Scottish Gaelic bac an tùs
  • bac an tùsto prevent at an early stage
Spanish descogollar, desyemado, cortar de raíz
  • descogollar, desyemadoTo remove a bud from a plant
  • cortar de raízto prevent at an early stage
Swedish kväva i sin linda, mota Olle i grind
  • kväva i sin lindato prevent at an early stage
  • mota Olle i grindto prevent at an early stage
  • stämma i bäckento prevent at an early stage
Thai ตัดไฟแต่ต้นลม, ตัดไฟต้นลม
  • ตัดไฟแต่ต้นลมto prevent at an early stage
  • ตัดไฟต้นลมto prevent at an early stage
  • ตัดไฟหัวลมto prevent at an early stage
Turkish yılanın başını küçükken ezmek
  • yılanın başını küçükken ezmekto prevent at an early stage
Ukrainian знищувати в корені
  • знищувати в корені (znyščuvaty v koreni)to prevent at an early stage
Cite this entry
APA

nip in the bud. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nip%20in%20the%20bud

MLA

“nip in the bud.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nip%20in%20the%20bud. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nip in the bud,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nip%20in%20the%20bud.

Source: nip in the bud on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.