Showing results for believe. Search instead for Believ.

Synonyms

believe

American

[bih-leev] / bɪˈliv /

verb (used without object)

to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.

Only if one believes in something can one act purposefully.

verb (used with object)

to have confidence or faith in the truth of (a positive assertion, story, etc.); give credence to.
to have confidence in the assertions of (a person).
to have a conviction that (a person or thing) is, has been, or will be engaged in a given action or involved in a given situation.

The fugitive is believed to be headed for the Mexican border.
to suppose or assume; understand (usually followed by a noun clause).

I believe that he has left town.

verb phrase

believe in
1. to be persuaded of the truth or existence of.
  
  to believe in Zoroastrianism; to believe in ghosts.
2. to have faith in the reliability, honesty, benevolence, etc., of.
  
  I can help only if you believe in me.

idioms

make believe. make.

believe British

/ bɪˈliːv /

verb

(tr; may take a clause as object) to accept (a statement, supposition, or opinion) as true

I believe God exists
(tr) to accept the statement or opinion of (a person) as true
to be convinced of the truth or existence (of)

to believe in fairies
(intr) to have religious faith
(when tr, takes a clause as object) to think, assume, or suppose

I believe that he has left already
(tr; foll by of; used with can, could, would, etc) to think that someone is able to do (a particular action)

I wouldn't have believed it of him

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

believe More Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing believe

Usage

Spelling tips for believe The word believe is hard to spell for two reasons. First, because it can be hard to remember the order of the i and e. Sometimes people want to spell it beleive, which is incorrect. Second, because it is pronounced [ bih-leev ], which makes you think there may be a second i in the word, as in bilieve. How to spell believe: The easiest way to remember how to spell believe is with the classic mnemonic device: “I before E, except after C." Believ[ing] is an important part of "being alive", which reminds you that the first syllable is be, not bi.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of believe

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bileven, equivalent to bi- be- + leven, Old English (Anglian) gelēfan (cognate with Dutch gelooven, German glauben, Gothic galaubjan )

Explanation

If you believe something, you think it’s true. If you are easily duped then you might believe your little sister when she says a thief broke into the house and ate all your candy. Believe comes from old German words meaning to have trust. Belief doesn’t require proof, just acceptance. If you’re on a jury and the prosecution and defense present two different versions of what happened, you have to decide which side you believe. To believe can also mean having confidence. If you believe in me, it doesn’t mean that you think I’m real (unless I’m a ghost). It means you think I can do what I set out to do.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing believe

Spelling Practice, Unit 3

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Spelling Practice 1, Unit 4

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Spelling Practice 2, Unit 4

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

believe believes believed believing

What’s the truth, and, in telling us this, what does Woodward want us to believe is the truth?

From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026

"We believe there was some sort of a conflict with the apartment building, but we don't have much more than that," Carroll said.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

That is an area of concern to US officials who believe he has been involved with the alleged spy, Alice Huang.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026

I believe all of this is very doable — but he calls my plans a fantasy.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026

It was during this preinspection lineup one morning that I saw what I had till then refused to believe.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Ten Cap's Liu believes it is a matter of time in terms of Huang stepping down as Nvidia's chief executive.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

One firm believes the iPhone Duo could unlock a decade of potential.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026

Then there are those with no previous status who may receive special invitations—taking spots that could have gone to other players—if leadership believes they can add value to tournaments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026

A statue called “The Golden Mean” marked what Feuerman believes was her first public piece in 2012.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026

“Not a single person in that audience believes for a second that what I do up there is real,” he says, gesturing in the general direction of the stage.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Diana believed she was doing what was best for Chad.

From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026

But he believed there was hope for Chad, if his family followed an intensive regimen.

From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026

What is beyond dispute is that he believed he may have met someone highly placed within the Chinese political system.

From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026

Such a practice might even suggest symbolic burial traditions once believed to be exclusive to Homo sapiens, or modern humans.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 11, 2026

“Certainly not. I just… got a little smoke in my eye,” he said so earnestly, he nearly believed it himself.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

His uncle recommended the school to his Taiwanese parents believing it to be a prestigious institution, though it was actually a school for troubled youth.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026

The leaders of the laetrile movement pushed for further clinical trials of the drug, believing they’d finally be vindicated.

From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2026

“Thank you for the compassion, thank you for believing in the work that Ojai Raptor Center does.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026

This drove up a month-after-month movement in the polls of people believing that their economic conditions were declining.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026

Nobody in Mrs. Miller’s class had trouble believing this, because doctors aren’t all that special anyway.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023