behold

[ bih-hohld ]
See synonyms for: beholdbeheldbeholdingbeholds on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),be·held, be·hold·ing.
  1. to observe; look at; see.

interjection
  1. look; see: And, behold, three sentries of the King did appear.

Origin of behold

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English beholden, Old English behaldan “to keep”; see be-, hold1

Other words for behold

Other words from behold

  • be·hold·a·ble, adjective
  • be·hold·er, noun
  • un·be·hold·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use behold in a sentence

  • Beholding Mrs. Pontellier make her appearance, the girl had at once suspected a lovers' rendezvous.

  • One weakness Ida could not overcome; the repugnance to beholding herself in her mourning garments.

    Alone | Marion Harland
  • Can I be as gay as you, after losing the late king, and now beholding my son's kingdom about to burst into flames?

    Catherine de' Medici | Honore de Balzac
  • He had worked across from the left column, and we were soon beholding his bright jacket in a tangle of logs and stumps.

    A Virginia Scout | Hugh Pendexter

British Dictionary definitions for behold

behold

/ (bɪˈhəʊld) /


verb-holds, -holding or -held (often used in the imperative to draw attention to something) archaic, or literary
  1. to look (at); observe

Origin of behold

1
Old English bihealdan; related to Old High German bihaltan, Dutch behouden; see be-, hold

Derived forms of behold

  • beholder, noun

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