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• be
  be

  verb (used without object)

  to exist or live.
• Be
  Be

  beryllium.
• Bé.
  Bé.

  abbreviation

  Baumé.
• B/E
  B/E

  bill of exchange.
• be-
  be-

  a native English prefix formerly used in the formation of verbs.
• B.E.
  B.E.

  abbreviation

  Bachelor of Education.
• BE
  BE

  abbreviation

  bill of exchange
• Bé
  Bé

  abbreviation

  Baumé

be

¹ American  

[bee, bee, bi] / bi, bi, bɪ /

verb (used without object)

am, present (1st person singular) are, present (2nd person singular), present (plural) is, present (3rd person singular) was, past (1st & 3rd person singular) were, past (2nd person singular), past (plural), past (2nd person singular), past (plural) been, past participle being present participle

1. to exist or live.

   Shakespeare's “To be or not to be” is the ultimate question.

2. to take place; happen; occur.

   The wedding was last week.

3. to occupy a place or position.

   The book is on the table.

4. to continue or remain as before.

   Let things be.

5. to belong; attend; befall.

   May good fortune be with you.

6. (used as a copula to connect the subject with its predicate adjective, or predicate nominative, in order to describe, identify, or amplify the subject).

   Martha is tall. John is president. This is she.

7. (used as a copula to introduce or form interrogative or imperative sentences).

   Is that right? Be quiet! Don't be facetious.

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auxiliary verb

am, present (1st person singular) are, present (2nd person singular), present (plural) is, present (3rd person singular) was, past (1st & 3rd person singular) were, past (2nd person singular), past (plural), past (2nd person singular), past (plural) been, past participle being present participle

1. (used with the present participle of another verb to form the progressive tense).

   I am waiting.

2. (used with the present participle or infinitive of the principal verb to indicate future action).

   She is visiting there next week. He is to see me today.

3. (used with the past participle of another verb to form the passive voice).

   The date was fixed. It must be done.

4. (used in archaic or literary constructions with some intransitive verbs to form the perfect tense).

   He is come. Agamemnon to the wars is gone.

verb (used with object)

am, present (1st person singular) are, present (plural), present (2nd person singular) is, present (3rd person singular) was, past (1st & 3rd person singular) were past (2nd person singular), past (plural)

1. Informal. to say, declare, think, or feel (usually used to introduce reported speech or thought).

   So I'm walking down my street yesterday, and I'm “Why is there a crowd in front of my house?”

Be ² American  

Symbol, Chemistry.

1. beryllium.

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Bé. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. Baumé.

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B/E ⁴ American  

Or b.e.

1. bill of exchange.

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be- ⁵ American  

1. a native English prefix formerly used in the formation of verbs.

   become, besiege, bedaub, befriend.

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B.E. ⁶ American  

abbreviation

1. Bachelor of Education.

2. Bachelor of Engineering.

3. Bank of England.

4. bill of exchange.

5. Board of Education.

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be ¹ British  

/ biː, bɪ /

verb

1. to have presence in the realm of perceived reality; exist; live

   I think, therefore I am

   not all that is can be understood

2. (used in the perfect or past perfect tenses only) to pay a visit; go

   have you been to Spain?

3. to take place; occur

   my birthday was last Thursday

4. (copula) used as a linking verb between the subject of a sentence and its noun or adjective complement or complementing phrase. In this case be expresses the relationship of either essential or incidental equivalence or identity ( John is a man; John is a musician ) or specifies an essential or incidental attribute ( honey is sweet; Susan is angry ). It is also used with an adverbial complement to indicate a relationship of location in space or time ( Bill is at the office; the dance is on Saturday )

5. (takes a present participle) forms the progressive present tense

   the man is running

6. (takes a past participle) forms the passive voice of all transitive verbs and (archaically) certain intransitive ones

   a good film is being shown on television tonight

   I am done

7. (takes an infinitive) expresses intention, expectation, supposition, or obligation

   the president is to arrive at 9.30

   you are not to leave before I say so

8. (takes a past participle) forms the perfect or past perfect tense of certain intransitive verbs of motion, such as go or come

   the last train is gone

9. the facts concerning (something) are of no importance

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be- ² British  

prefix

1. (from nouns) to surround completely; cover on all sides

   befog

2. (from nouns) to affect completely or excessively

   bedazzle

3. (from nouns) to consider as or cause to be

   befool

   befriend

4. (from nouns) to provide or cover with

   bejewel

5. (from verbs) at, for, against, on, or over

   bewail

   berate

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BE ³ British  

abbreviation

1. bill of exchange

2. (in the US) Board of Education

3. Bachelor of Education

4. Bachelor of Engineering

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Bé ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. Baumé

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Be ⁵ British  

symbol

1. beryllium

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B/E ⁶ British  

abbreviation

1. bill of exchange

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be ⁷ British  

abbreviation

1. Belgium

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be Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing be

• let be

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Grammar

See me.

Etymology

Origin of be¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English been, Old English bēon “to be” (akin to Old Frisian, Old High German bim, German bin, Old Saxon bium, biom “(I) am,” Old English, Old High German, Old Saxon būan, Old Norse būa “reside,” Latin fuī “(I) have been,“ Greek phy- “grow, become,” Old Irish boí “(he) was,” Sanskrit bhávati “(he) becomes, is,” Lithuanian búti “to be,” Old Church Slavonic byti, Persian būdan “to be”); see am, is, are ¹, was, were

Origin of be-⁵

Middle English, Old English, unstressed form of bī by

Explanation

To be is to exist, or to take place. As Hamlet best put it: "To be or not to be, that is the question." The verb be is one of the most frequently used words in English, and it often takes the form of am, are, were, or was. When you make plans to meet someone later, you could say, "I'll be on the steps in front of the library," and when you talk about your goals, you might confess, "I want to be a movie star." It's a verb with a complicated history, stemming mainly from the Old English bēon, "be, exist, or happen."

Example Sentences

Be specific with penalty dates and details, she wrote.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

The song dissolves with another harp glissando that’s seamlessly replaced by the chunky, churning beat of “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

The first book, “We Could Be Beautiful,” did well because the publisher put real money into the marketing of it.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026

A 1967 ad for the “Eve Petticoat” issued an invitation: “Come, pretty girl. Be Eve, if you wish.”

From Salon • May 17, 2026

“So, what are we expected to do? Be only what they want us to be? Never step outside the limits they set for us? Make no mistakes?”

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu