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Meaning & use

bailing on you

phrase·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˈbeɪlɪŋ ɒn juː/
US/ˈbeɪlɪŋ ɑːn juː/

“bailing on you” is a form of “bail on”.

Meaning

  1. phrasephrasal verbinformal

    Canceling plans with someone at the last minute, or leaving them to deal with a problem alone.

    Grammar: Part of the phrasal verb 'bail on someone'; the object usually comes after 'on'.

    Patterns

    • bail on someone
    • bail on a plan

    She's always bailing on you at the last minute, so don't count on her.

    I can't believe he's bailing on us the night before the trip.

    They accused the company of bailing on its promise to help.

Word forms

base formbail on
third person singularbails on
past tensebailed on
past participlebailed on
present participlebailing on

Common combinations

bail on someone
He bailed on me when I needed him most.
bail on a plan
They bailed on the plan to go hiking.
bail on a promise
The government bailed on its promise to lower taxes.
keep bailing on
Stop bailing on your friends.

Synonyms and how they differ

cancel on
More neutral and slightly more formal; it means you told someone you can't come, but doesn't suggest leaving them in trouble.
abandon
Stronger and more formal; it means leaving someone completely, often permanently.
ditch
Very informal and can sound harsh; it often means leaving someone without warning.

Opposites

show upstick with

Word family

bail verb
To leave a place or situation quickly, often to escape.
bailout noun
Financial help given to a company or country in trouble.

Commonly confused: bailing on you or bale?

bailing on you vs bale

A large bundle of hay or straw; 'bail' (with i) is the verb meaning to leave or cancel.

Practice

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