bots: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Medium-HighNeutral to informal; increasingly common in technical, business, and general discourse about technology.
Quick answer
What does “bots” mean?
Plural form of 'bot' — automated software programs that perform tasks on the internet, often repetitively and without human intervention.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Plural form of 'bot' — automated software programs that perform tasks on the internet, often repetitively and without human intervention.
Can refer to a group of such programs collectively; in gaming, may refer to non-player characters controlled by AI; informally, can refer to automated social media accounts or automated customer service programs.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Spelling and pronunciation are identical. The term is international tech jargon.
Connotations
Equally carries connotations of automation, potential spam, or lack of authenticity in both varieties.
Frequency
Equal frequency in tech and media contexts in both UK and US English.
Grammar
How to Use “bots” in a Sentence
bots + verb (perform, crawl, post, attack)adjective + bots (harmful, automated, helpful, spam)bots + preposition + noun (bots on Twitter, bots in the game)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bots” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The server was botted during the attack.
- They're botting the game to farm resources.
American English
- The website got botted with fake registrations.
- He got banned for botting in the tournament.
adverb
British English
- (Not standard; 'automatically' is used instead)
American English
- (Not standard; 'automatically' is used instead)
adjective
British English
- It was a bot account, not a real person.
- We're seeing bot-like behaviour in the analytics.
American English
- The comments were from a bot network.
- She received a bot response from the help desk.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to automated customer service agents, trading algorithms, or data-scraping tools.
Academic
Used in computer science, social media studies, and cybersecurity research.
Everyday
Commonly refers to annoying spam accounts on social media or helpful chatbots on websites.
Technical
Precise term for any software application that runs automated tasks over a network, especially on the Internet.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bots”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bots”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bots”
- Using 'bot' as an uncountable noun (e.g., 'too much bot' - incorrect; 'too many bots' - correct).
- Misspelling as 'bots' when referring to the singular (a bot).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a standard term in technology and business but can sound informal in very traditional contexts. It is widely accepted in professional writing about the internet.
A 'robot' typically refers to a physical machine. A 'bot' (short for robot) almost always refers to a software program operating on a network or the internet.
Yes. 'Helpful bots' or 'chatbots' provide customer service, and 'web crawler bots' help search engines index websites. The connotation depends on context.
It rhymes with 'dots' or 'lots'. In British English, the vowel is like in 'hot' (/bɒts/). In American English, it is like in 'father' (/bɑːts/).
Plural form of 'bot' — automated software programs that perform tasks on the internet, often repetitively and without human intervention.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “bots and all (informal tech: accepting automated elements)”
- “fight the bots (struggle against automated spam)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
BOTS: Behaving Online Through Software.
Conceptual Metaphor
Bots are DIGITAL WORKERS/SOLDIERS (they perform tasks or attack en masse).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'bots' LEAST likely to be used?