Translation guide
The English word "bait" can refer to something used to lure fish or animals, a temptation or enticement, or something used to provoke a reaction. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each meaning.
Physical bait used to catch fish, animals, or insects.
General word for animal feed or bait. Used for fishing, trapping, and pet food.
I bought some fishing bait.
Set bait in a mousetrap.
Groundbait or chum; bait scattered in water to attract fish.
Scatter groundbait to attract fish.
Artificial bait or lure, such as a fishing fly or plastic worm.
I like fishing with artificial lures.
Something used to lure a person into a trap or to persuade them to do something.
Metaphorically used for bait in scams, traps, or lures. Often appears in compounds.
Scammers use sweet talk as bait to cheat people out of money.
Decoy or lure; often used for police sting operations or hunting decoys.
Temptation or allurement; often used for moral or emotional enticement.
Figuratively, to scatter bait (e.g., free samples) to attract customers.
Something said or done to deliberately provoke a reaction, especially online.
Internet slang for trolling or baiting someone into a response. Derived from fishing.
That post is totally bait.
I took the bait and got angry.
Provocation; can be used for baiting someone into a fight or argument.
餌 (えさ) is the general word for bait, including food for animals and metaphorical lures. おとり specifically means a decoy used to trap someone, often in police or military contexts.
The English idiom 'take the bait' is not directly translated. Use 引っかかる (to be caught/tricked) or 乗る (to go along with) depending on context.
He used a worm as bait.
The offer was just bait to get my personal information.
The police caught the criminal in a sting operation.
彼は金の誘惑に負けた。
He gave in to the temptation of money.
They're running a campaign like scattering bait to attract new customers.
Clickbait; sensationalized headlines designed to attract clicks.
That site is full of clickbait.
彼の挑発に乗ってはいけない。
Don't take his bait.