be
verb (used without object)
to exist or live.
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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:
Easy money being the engine of both, they were destined to be together.
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Under that standardized process, all pied-à-terre properties will be subject to the same $5 million value threshold and tax rates.
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The Department of Finance included properties on that list that might be subject to the tax with the caveat that “the vast majority” wouldn’t be.
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An open model that can break out of its test environment and hack a major company—as an OpenAI model did last month—could be available without guardrails by Christmas.
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These microscopic animals might be marvels of nature, but no doctor suspects that they have anything to do with disease, let alone infections.
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"Be strong as always because we are representing Afghan women," says midfielder Fatima Haidari to fellow members of Afghan Women United.
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The musician's journey up Kilimanjaro has been captured in an upcoming Netflix documentary, Aitch: Don't Be Afraid.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Be sure you’re putting it in a high-yield savings account so it can accumulate as much interest as possible.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
“As the manager of my first campaign for Congress in 1987, he brought his unmatched strategic mind to help create and amplify my slogan: A Voice That Will Be Heard.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Be quiet. There’s something at play with you. Be brave. This may be painful.”
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
Neradol D is a viscous liquid, measuring about 33° Bé., which is similar to extracts of natural tannins.
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
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 solution is then evaporated, the residue dissolved in 600 c.c. hot water, and the chromium precipitated with a 40° Bé. solution of caustic soda.
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
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
Numerous phone calls requesting an interview with executives from B/E Aerospace, which has its headquarters in Wellington, Fla., were not returned.
From New York Times ● Dec. 23, 2016
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
"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
Outside the door sat four army jeeps, engines running, in case a quick getaway be- came necessary.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
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
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
The tech-heavy Dutch AEX fell 0.3% as consumer-facing stocks slid, though BE Semiconductor rose 1.5%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
YOU HAD TO BE HERE: By some estimates, the World Cup games here were outdrawn even by the demolition of the Cotton Exchange building downtown one Saturday morning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 1994
Steven, I respect privacy as much as the next teacher, but how private can your thoughts on this question BE?
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
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
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
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
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
Neutralised as usual, the product, in a 3° Bé solution, converts pelt within three days into a white, full leather of good tensile strength.
From Synthetic Tannins by Georg Grasser
I am currently serving my 17th year for manslaughter, and reporting on systemic issues within the criminal legal system from the inside out.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
"I am not a political man," he told the BBC last month.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
“To be in the prime of your career and be as good as I think I am, I think that’s very pathetic, disappointing.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
I don’t necessarily go in feeling like I’m gonna write about anything in particular, but I am really curious and interested in what that moment holds, and lyrically, if it flows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
“Oh. For a second you were squinting very oddly at everything and I thought you had something in your eye. So, fox, which way am I to go?”
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
“As AI compute workloads increase in both speed and bandwidth, data-center architects are turning to optical links as a primary means of connectivity,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
There are a few exemptions, such as if an immediate family member is living in the home or if it is rented out long-term.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
As a result, investors are hesitant to focus on long-term business fundamentals until management provides a clearer AI spending and monetization road map, he noted.
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It notes that open models help “respond to emerging threats,” but those threats are greatly amplified by open models.
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Because Japan and Germany are allies, Japan periodically sends prisoners to live with German families, who are sometimes called “sponsors.”
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For Oracle, the “top priority” is maintaining an investment-grade credit rating, Deutsche Bank analyst Brad Zelnick wrote in a note last week.
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On an album packed with sonic and lyrical detail, every gesture here is considered and nothing is wasted.
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“Customer demand is accelerating as enterprise adoption broadens and we continue to deepen our technology platform.”
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And should be: The movies and the mob are subjects about which every American is an expert.
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In June, Oracle reported that its free cash flow for fiscal 2026 was negative $23.7 billion.
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Ms. Bridgers’s influence was felt despite the paucity of new material.
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As of Monday, Oracle’s five-year CDS spread was 198 basis points.
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Not every project was like “The Godfather”—a movie about the Mafia that got made only with Mafia involvement.
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At Carville, she was one of the few patients who kept her identity.
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For Cava’s second quarter — which ended on July 12, just as concerns about the outbreak were growing — revenue jumped 31.3% year over year to $365.4 million, above FactSet estimates for $360 million.
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Easy money being the engine of both, they were destined to be together.
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The court records were made public this week by the ACLU, which is part of a coalition seeking to bar an “ongoing campaign of suspicionless and discriminatory detentive stops” in the Central District of California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Nor were they told of the threat that prompted the switcheroo.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
When Dad told us about Candace, he assured us that they were careful about where they went and how late they stayed out.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
The outlook for adjusted earnings of between $1.01 and $1.10 also beat expectations, which had been for 72 cents.
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The yen has been steadily weakening, and today traded around 159.34 per dollar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The company’s AI financing strategy has been an overhang on the stock this year, as it has turned to debt and equity issuances to fund its cloud buildout.
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That there’s always been crime in Hollywood probably won’t surprise anyone.
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When Joan of Arc was born in France in 1412, her country had been fighting England for seventy-five years.
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At that level of investment, Moore said the “sophisticated third party investor groups” are calling the shots, which should assuage fears that deals are being “purely driven by circular motivations.”
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The Department of Finance deliberately cast a wider net because it said it was sometimes unable to confirm whether a home was being used as a primary residence.
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Burnham said on Tuesday that he would listen to and address the concerns being raised.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
“It showed more than anything that being able to go to the beach is such a unifying shared joy in California.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Her parents don’t let her out after dark, unless she is being driven.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
