be
verb (used without object)
to exist or live.
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Bees.
be
1 American
[bee, 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 person), past (1st & 3rd person singular)
-
were,
past (2nd person singular), past (plural), past subjunctive
-
been,
past participle
-
being
present participle
-
to exist or live.
Shakespeare's “To be or not to be” is the ultimate question.
-
to take place; happen; occur.
The wedding was last week.
-
to occupy a place or position.
The book is on the table.
-
to continue or remain as before.
Let things be.
-
to belong; attend; befall.
May good fortune be with you.
-
(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.
-
(used as a copula to introduce or form interrogative or imperative sentences).
Is that right? Be quiet! Don't be facetious.
auxiliary verb
-
am,
present (1st person singular)
-
are,
present (2nd person singular), present (plural)
-
is,
present (3rd person singular)
-
was,
past (1st person), past (1st & 3rd person singular)
-
were,
past (2nd person singular), past (plural), past subjunctive, past (2nd person singular), past (plural)
-
been,
past participle
-
being
present participle
-
(used with the present participle of another verb to form the progressive tense).
I am waiting.
-
(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.
-
(used with the past participle of another verb to form the passive voice).
The date was fixed. It must be done.
-
(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 person), past (1st & 3rd person singular)
-
were
past (2nd person singular), past (plural)
Be
2
American
Symbol, Chemistry.
Bé.
3
American
abbreviation
B/E
4
American
Or
b.e.
be-
5
American
B.E.
6
American
abbreviation
-
Bachelor of Education.
-
Bachelor of Engineering.
-
Bank of England.
-
bill of exchange.
-
Board of Education.
be
1
British
/ biː, bɪ /
verb
-
to have presence in the realm of perceived reality; exist; live
I think, therefore I am
not all that is can be understood
-
(used in the perfect or past perfect tenses only) to pay a visit; go
have you been to Spain?
-
to take place; occur
my birthday was last Thursday
-
(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 )
-
(takes a present participle) forms the progressive present tense
the man is running
-
(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
-
(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
-
(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
-
the facts concerning (something) are of no importance
be-
2
British
prefix
-
(from nouns) to surround completely; cover on all sides
befog
-
(from nouns) to affect completely or excessively
bedazzle
-
(from nouns) to consider as or cause to be
befool
befriend
-
(from nouns) to provide or cover with
bejewel
-
(from verbs) at, for, against, on, or over
bewail
berate
BE
3
British
abbreviation
-
bill of exchange
-
(in the US) Board of Education
-
Bachelor of Education
-
Bachelor of Engineering
Bé
4
British
abbreviation
Be
5
British
symbol
B/E
6
British
abbreviation
be
7
British
abbreviation
be
Idioms
Grammar
See me.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
amsimple
-
aresimple
-
issimple
-
have beenperfect
-
has beenperfect
-
am beingprogressive
-
are beingprogressive
-
is beingprogressive
-
have been beingperfect progressive
-
has been beingperfect progressive
Past
-
wassimple
-
weresimple
-
had beenperfect
-
was beingprogressive
-
were beingprogressive
-
had been beingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing be
Scrabble: Two-Letter Words
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Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 3
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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:
“I’d love to be able to go back and sew it together again,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The unfaithful Clytemnestra and Helen are supposed to be contrasting forces to Anne Hathaway’s loyal Penelope.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
Barry said the pair were likely to be barred from working in policing again following respective misconduct hearings.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
“Legendary run Amelia, I’ll be first in line for whatever’s next,” Evans wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
She writes to anyone she can think of who might be able to help.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Appeared in the August 29, 2026, print edition as 'Dementia Doesn’t Have to Be the End of Travel'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Julie said for the past few years she had been working with Knowsley Council - where her daughter worked as an environmental health officer - on the Be the Change scheme.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Getting to the ranch requires a journey up winding hills, past signs that read “Please Be Kind,” on roads flanked by cacti, chaparral and coastal sage scrub.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Be careful not to put the extinguisher in a place where it could become a dangerous flying object in an accident.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
She stopped there, hand on the door’s handle, and she said, “Do not fail him. Strike when the time comes. Be true.”
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
The partly neutralised 2° Bé. solution of this product yielded a reddish-grey coloured leather, the qualities of which were very similar to that yielded by Neradol D. 3.
From Synthetic Tannins by Georg Grasser
Such experiments may be done, for instance, by preparing 2° Bé. solutions of each extract and then mixing them in proportions of, say, 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, etc.
From Synthetic Tannins by Georg Grasser
By using a bath composed of half-neutralised phenolsulphonic acid and quebracho extract in 7° Bé. solution, another piece of pelt was completely tanned in two days.
From Synthetic Tannins by Georg Grasser
Above 10° Bé. the effect is more that of an acid with concentrations below 10° Bé.—the only ones of technical importance—however, no ill-effects may be observed.
From Synthetic Tannins by Georg Grasser
The same result was obtained by first half neutralising the phenolsulphonic acid and then adding sulphited quebracho extract till a 5° Bé. solution was obtained.
From Synthetic Tannins by Georg Grasser
Khoury’s father, Amin J. Khoury, founded Wellington, Florida-based B/E Aerospace, an aircraft cabin interiors maker that was bought in 2017 for more than $6 billion.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 6, 2022
Rockwell Collins, a longtime supplier of radio and flight displays to Boeing, last year bought B/E Aerospace, the largest cabin-equipment supplier.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 16, 2018
He declined to reveal lavatory dimensions and added, in an email, that “there is currently only one supplier for lavs across all models of the 737 — B/E Aerospace.”
From New York Times ● Dec. 23, 2016
“In today’s environment, the goal is to fit as many seats in the cabin as possible,” said Tom Plant, the general manager for seating products at B/E Aerospace, one of the top airplane seat makers.
From New York Times ● Dec. 23, 2013
"B/E Aerospace may also guide below consensus," Stallard said.
From Reuters ● Oct. 18, 2010
What rotten luck for you that “The Grapes of Wrath” should not only have come out be- fore your book was submitted but should have so swept the country!
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2024
Offering participants a discreet way to alert the moderator to their discomfort- for example by giving them remote buttons they can use to 'bring the researcher in' if need be- may be effective.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 15, 2023
Buteglute has given him his chance to be- to be- the most famous-ah- to do a good thing.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 20, 2023
My original encounter from the store got in line for her pic next, then be- came the photographer for the rest of the meet-and-greet.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 22, 2019
It makes me feel safe, this time be- tween day and night, as though we’re floating together in an in-between place where anything is possible.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
Earlier Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of Crimea, said air defence systems had been in action around a Kerch shipyard named after B.E.
From Reuters ● Nov. 4, 2023
"It was back in 2019 and I was sitting in my box room at home, quietly sulking and downloading application forms for jobs in PR," said the 48-year-old, who writes under the pen name B.E.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2023
The thriller is adapted from a book of the same name by B.E.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2023
It also features five commissions from the WNO: Atlanta composer B.E.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 12, 2022
Instead it was his father who did the talking, saying that the man had gone to St. Xavier’s, and then B.E.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Shares of BE Semiconductor Industries, the Dutch supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment, are up 5.5%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Shares of BE Semiconductor Industries, the Dutch supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment, are up 1.3%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Album cuts like “$T. LOSER” and “WHAT IS IT LIKE, TO BE LIKED?” find Slayyyter caught up comparing herself to other artists.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
YOU HAD TO BE HERE: In the downtown area on July 4, fans from everywhere joined to sing “Happy Birthday.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 1994
The company history is right below the slogan: DON’T BE A FINK!
From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman
Bé Ù, a Vietnamese restaurant in Virgil Village, will be open Friday, but owner Uyên Lê said that’s because she does her community organizing work through the business.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2026
Last summer, Uyên Lê, owner and chef at Bé Ù Vietnamese Street Food in East Hollywood, was scraping out her Sriracha bottles and trying to ration her supply.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2023
Bé Ù offered free meals in exchange for Huy Fong Sriracha sauce, and it got around 300 bottles during the promotion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2023
Opened last year, Le Grand Bé is a big, splashy, four-star addition to St-Malo’s historical walled center.
From New York Times ● Aug. 22, 2019
Fanirin pointed him out to Nekhludoff as Bé, "a most honorable gentleman."
From The Awakening The Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy, Count
"Not a birthday I am going to forget in a hurry and again, thank you to all those who have been involved in my care."
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
“I am grateful to Deputy District Attorneys Maura Duffey and Jared Coleman, who prosecuted this case with care.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
I am curious as to how you presented what you were gifting her.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
“I am deeply disappointed by the flagrant violations of our rules and by the Clippers’ institutional and leadership failures that led to this misconduct,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
"I am a knight in armor who will do you no harm. I am here to see the exalted lord of this magnificent castle."
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
This year there are fewer obvious awards heavyweights in the mix, at a time when prestige and independent films have become harder to finance, distribute and sell to audiences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The unfaithful Clytemnestra and Helen are supposed to be contrasting forces to Anne Hathaway’s loyal Penelope.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
Almost 100 queens have lip-synced their way through Drag Race UK's challenges, but there are fans who worry whether the British scene can support more series of the annual show.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Among the higher-profile entries are “Pete Townshend: Behind Blue Eyes,” a portrait of the Who guitarist and songwriter, and Nanette Burstein’s “Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff,” about the astronomer and science communicator.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Surely the Japanese wouldn’t dare strike when there are so many forces waiting for them.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
“He’s quite incisive. It is a timely film. And Malkovich is extraordinary.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
This interview is one of a few substantial conversations they’ve ever had.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Phair, who’s had an on-and-off relationship with touring, is noticeably more nervous than Brownstein and Tucker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
“It is really dense and obtuse but I think it is rewarding and I hope people take up the challenge,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
There is never a good time to get sick, but this is a particularly bad time.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
“Here’s a band I was a fan of that meant something to me and now I can play with them.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
“The Odyssey” and all its accompanying discourse remain omnipresent, but we have been talking about it since Christopher Nolan’s casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy was revealed months ago.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
The project was led by Lewes District Council, which said it would "deliver a high‑quality, modern healthcare environment that residents so richly deserve".
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
“You know, it was just gatekeeping, that now seems sort of repugnant. But it was also a way to establish yourself in opposition to what felt like the only way to be.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
"Gage," his doctor will write, "was no longer Gage."
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
“I think at the time we thought we were too cool to play Lilith,” Tucker reflects.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Eldahouzze and El Habchi claimed they did not know the robbery was about to take place and were in fear of reprisals from Djoudi.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
“We were all so excited. Like, an actual artist made the cover.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Both women went through "intense" vetting and were required to read and sign declarations stating that they had no contacts who were "engaged in criminal activities", the court heard.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Gertie’s father didn’t approve of Hans because he was enlisted in the US Marines and there were too many pitfalls to military life.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Phair had been sitting on the idea of a co-headlining tour with Sleater-Kinney for a few years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Every time we see Nora, we get a sense of how long she’s been carrying her anger without her saying so.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
She has been hailing the new series as the "drag renaissance" as she feels it was a "really strong" year and hopes it will be "very well received" internationally.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
She also wrote that “Chicken Shop Date” has been her “very own romcom” and also reflected on the show’s journey which has made her a staple on the awards circuit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
It’s been five years, but her death still hurts like it happened yesterday.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
He was closer to being the best of the best, and America is losing far too many of them.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
The Volkswagen Passat involved in the collision was being pursued by police until 10 seconds before the crash, according to the police watchdog.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Meanwhile, “The Witcher 4” is being developed, with no target date announced, although Cibelli expects it to be released within the next two years.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Not being able to wiggle courtside for a year is a rough, personal blow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
She’s used to me being too shy to speak up.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
