behave
Americanverb (used without object)
-
behaves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
behaved,
past participle, past
-
behaving
present participle
-
to act in a particular way; conduct or comport oneself or itself.
The ship behaves well.
- Synonyms:
- perform
-
to act properly.
Did the child behave?
-
to act or react under given circumstances.
This plastic behaves strangely under extreme heat or cold.
verb (used with object)
-
behaves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
behaved,
past participle, past
-
behaving
present participle
verb
-
(intr) to act or function in a specified or usual way
-
to conduct (oneself) in a specified way
he behaved badly towards her
-
to conduct (oneself) properly or as desired
the child behaved himself all day
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
behavesimple
-
behavessimple
-
have behavedperfect
-
has behavedperfect
-
am behavingprogressive
-
are behavingprogressive
-
is behavingprogressive
-
have been behavingperfect progressive
-
has been behavingperfect progressive
Past
-
behavedsimple
-
had behavedperfect
-
was behavingprogressive
-
were behavingprogressive
-
had been behavingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of behave
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English behaven “to behave oneself”; equivalent to be- + have
Explanation
The way you act or conduct yourself is how you behave. Teachers and parents often tell kids Behave! If you follow rules and get along with others, you behave well, while if you are nasty and rude, you behave badly. Behave can suggest acting in a polite manner, as when you tell a child (or an adult) to behave in public. We usually behave differently in different situations — like when no one is watching. If you tell someone "practice what you preach" you are pointing out that the way they behave doesn't quite match up to their words.
Vocabulary lists containing behave
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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:
Democratic theory tells us how to expect politicians to behave in the presence of such incentives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
As much as we like to think that adults will behave responsibly, you run the risk of the tenant/landlord saying, “I lost $100.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Among them was the academy’s annual summer party, themed after 18th-century Georgian pleasure gardens — Britain’s oil-lamp-lit outdoor venues where aristocrats, the newly rich and everyday revelers gathered to see, be seen and behave badly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
In November 2025, the Football Association had charged Palace with failing to ensure that supporters did not behave in an improper, offensive, abusive or provocative way.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
But why did Grandma have to behave as though she was praying to God when pleading with them?
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Weights refer to calculations or rules governing how an AI system behaves.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
Even a well-stocked farmers market rarely behaves like a supermarket organized around a recipe’s demands.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
However, it also changes how dark matter behaves as the Universe expands.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026
But this only works if the Fed actually behaves as markets expect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
By looking at the collective motion of groups of atoms, physicists could predict the way matter behaves.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
The team found that graphene wrinkles behaved somewhat like rows of tiny electrical speed bumps.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Howe has high hopes for “The Body,” about badly behaved Catholic school girls who have prophetic visions after a dance team initiation goes awry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The teenager has been described as quiet and well behaved by family members in local media.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
It was unfair to the students who wanted to learn and were well behaved, and it was difficult to teach when nothing could be done to mitigate the disruptions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Even worse was the way she behaved towards Tall Tailless.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Wall Street was especially tuned to July’s report because Fed officials have grown sensitive to data suggesting the economy isn’t behaving as they expected.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
A 63-year-old man has been found guilty of harassing the Labour MP for Walthamstow after preventing her from leaving a Tube carriage and behaving in an "abusive and aggressive" manner.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
The researchers concluded that these participants were not simply behaving more recklessly.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
Birds and other animals, bewildered by unforeseen night, start behaving strangely.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Although he tried to sound humble, he was soon behaving perfectly naturally, standing over Mr. Lapham with his notebook in his hand, reading off exactly how those spoons had been ordered.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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.
