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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, 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

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 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

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 person), 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

---

Grammar

See me.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• being
  present
• been
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• am
  simple
• are
  simple
• is
  simple
• have been
  perfect
• has been
  perfect
• am being
  progressive
• are being
  progressive
• is being
  progressive
• have been being
  perfect progressive
• has been being
  perfect progressive

Past

• was
  simple
• were
  simple
• had been
  perfect
• was being
  progressive
• were being
  progressive
• had been being
  perfect progressive

Future

• will be
  simple
• will have been
  perfect
• will be being
  progressive
• will have been being
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

be Be Bé. B/E be- B.E. BE Bé am are is was were been being

Elliott argues such a move would be self-defeating, because Treasury bond yields would rise to compensate.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

The ticking of a clock can be heard throughout the duration of the modest new revival of D.L.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

“We’ve let that be known to the exhibitors in the film area, but it’s their decision,” Gelfond continued.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

At age 71 she seems too young and vigorous to be playing a nursing-home resident—despite that precise age being specified in the text.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Unlike illnesses such as tuberculosis or flu, it can be difficult to hide an advanced case of Hansen’s disease.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

“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 it measured by box office gross or word of mouth buzz, popularity isn’t enough to define a classic.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

Be ready for pushback from your niece, too.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

Be Prepared: How many jobs will AI upend?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

The other guys were saying, “We can do it. Be brave, everyone.”

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

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 Grasser, Georg

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 Grasser, Georg

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 Grasser, Georg

Neradol D is a viscous liquid, measuring about 33° Bé., which is similar to extracts of natural tannins.

From Synthetic Tannins by Grasser, Georg

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 Grasser, Georg

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

“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, the world's biggest supplier of aircraft interior products, is expected to report higher quarterly results mostly in line with expectations, helped by growth in its $1 billion non-discretionary consumables business.

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

I want to stay out here, be- neath the sky where things feel safer and simpler, where I understand things.

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

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

ASML—Europe’s most valuable company—jumps 3.3%, while Dutch peers BE Semiconductor and ASM International rise 2.3% and 2.8%, respectively.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

The Dutch AEX rose 0.75% as semiconductor packaging company BE Semiconductor jumped 4.9%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

YOU HAD TO BE HERE: A Brazilian woman walked into an ice cream store in Los Gatos one hot day and ordered a beer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 1994

“Stay calm, stay calm, this is serious. Just BE CALM.”

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook

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

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 Grasser, Georg

“Now that I am over 60, everything feels precious,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

"She would line up her dolls on the couch and say: 'I am your teacher. I'm in primary school now, so I am a teacher.'"

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

"I am disappointed with the other findings and do not accept them."

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

‘I am at a loss’: My brother is dying.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

When my head breaks the surface I have no idea where I am in relation to the others, but it doesn’t matter.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

The table below lists stocks reporting earnings next week whose options are showing increased implied volatility.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

They are simply and understandably exhausted by the neverending strife.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

I recommend them especially to older and more conservative investors, and I think TIPS, not regular Treasurys, are the real “risk-free asset” — at least to the extent there is such a thing.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

The lovers’ intertwined fates are made clear in an unsettling but whimsically life-affirming prologue that presents the moments of their births, one minute apart, in the same hospital.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

But when they push off the coast with the Japanese Navy, they can’t help but wonder: Where are we going?

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Valuations across stocks and bonds mean that “an extraordinary growth boom is being priced into both stocks and bonds, and in particular real interest rates,” he tells MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Market breadth is poor — both breadth oscillators remain on sell signals.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

The pace of earnings reports is heating up.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

But, he adds, people often forget that this apparently low figure is a “real” yield, meaning it comes on top of any inflation.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

The highly contagious illness is caused by bacteria growing in the body, usually the lungs, and is spread through the air when people cough, sneeze, or spit.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

The real return on 10-year Treasurys over the median 10-year period was 0.8%.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

That was back in 2011, though, and since then Mr. Refn’s efforts in both filmmaking and streaming television haven’t really caught on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

I was so intrigued I called Elliott to hear more.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

After making his name in his native Denmark with the 1996 crime drama “Pusher” and its sequels, he was beckoned to America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The treaty was intensely debated by the US Senate.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

I may not be quite so optimistic — if I were, I would probably have most of my money in 30-year TIPS.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting $1.99 a share.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

What do you think audiences were responding to?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Opening-weekend box-office figures were a record $52 million, the company said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

The remains ofPhineas, his mother, his brother-in-law, and 35,000 other San Francisco pioneers were dug up by the city and moved to a mass grave in a suburban cemetery.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Momentum for powering commercial ships with nuclear power has been building for years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Tax incentives for film and television productions have not been enough to counter a still-sluggish environment for filming in the greater Los Angeles region, according to a new report.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Overnight in the region, the U.S. military wrapped up its 12th straight day of strikes hitting the same sorts of targets—missile and drone facilities, operation centers and military infrastructure—that it has been hitting for weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

“I’ve been going through treatment, and everything is going great so far, and I expect it to continue. Amen, amen, amen,” she said on Tuesday’s episode.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

For me, Father has always been the same.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

“In fact, the exhibitors set the price and, frankly, with tickets at Lincoln Square being scalped for $1,000, I think there’s room to move up the prices for a film.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

The declines have deepened after SpaceX postponed a test launch of its Starship rocket and as investors anticipate a flood of shares being freed from lockup restrictions in early August.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

None of it has to happen on the timeline being forced on us now.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

The flight ended up being canceled because of thunderstorms, the report said, but was one of a number of last-minute requests made by the Vances.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

“People were cool. And there was always enough floating to the cauldron top that I never had to wrestle or worry about a wheel not being done enough.”

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith