behold

[ bih-hohld ]

See synonyms for behold on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),be·held, be·hold·ing.

to observe; look at; see.

interjection

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

Origin of behold

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

Other words for behold

1	regard, gaze upon, view; watch; discern

See synonyms for behold on Thesaurus.com

Other words from behold

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

Words Nearby behold

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use behold in a sentence

To look at her in tears was to behold the enormity of her loss.
Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss | Michael Daly | January 5, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
A Gaylard Williams Sunday sermon (which lasted for 45 minutes on average) was something to behold.
Exposed: The Gay-Bashing Pastor’s Same-Sex Assault | M.L. Nestel | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
They were there to put on a show and deliver a message: behold, we are a technological power with which to be reckoned!
Sony Hack: A Dictator Move? | Kevin Bleyer | December 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Even by the already money-drenched standards of American politics, the Eldridge campaign was a jaw-dropping spectacle to behold.
The Rise and Fall of Chris Hughes and Sean Eldridge, America’s Worst Gay Power Couple | James Kirchick | December 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
And lo and behold, she was determined to sink the mining industry, and we were determined to fight for our community.
‘Pride’: The Feel-Good Movie of the Year, and the Film Rupert Murdoch Doesn’t Want You to See | Marlow Stern | October 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

behold a dumpy, comfortable British paterfamilias in a light flannel suit and a faded sun hat.
God and my Neighbour | Robert Blatchford
Prepare the table, behold in the watchtower them that eat and drink: arise, ye princes, take up the shield.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | Various
behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | Various
They that shall see thee, shall turn toward thee, and behold thee.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | Various
behold a king shall reign in justice, and princes shall rule in judgment.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | Various

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

to look (at); observe

Origin of behold

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

Browse