be
verb (used without object)
to exist or live.
Showing results for be.
Search instead for
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Spelling Practice, Unit 8
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Spelling Practice 1, Unit 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
“Any new chips with Anthropic could be more lucrative in terms of the sharing of profits,” Reitzes said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
In the best performances, rare though they may be, this music grabs listeners by the collar and never lets them go.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
They added: "The Judge found that our client received no property belonging to Yugraneft, and that no Yugraneft asset could be traced into his hands."
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Sebastian added that Instagram and Facebook could benefit from new user experiences as well as better ad recommendations — though Meta emphasized that personal Muse conversations will not be shared directly with its advertising systems.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
"Benevolence" cannot be seen on the outside of the brain.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
“We let Mondays ruin our Sundays. Stop. Be present in your life instead of accepting that default.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
“Get ready to do your job as best as you can; that’s the message. It’s always been the message. And it’ll always be the message. Be at your best when you’re needed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
Be specific with where you offer the items you no longer want, whether it is for sale or to donate.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
“So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of the Constitution, the Court, and Our Country” is a collection of essays adapted from speeches he has given since 2007, many with straightforward titles, including “Let Judges Be Judges.”
From Salon ● Oct. 6, 2026
“It’s okay, little one. I promise you’ll be fine. Be brave.”
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Neradol D is a viscous liquid, measuring about 33° Bé., which is similar to extracts of natural tannins.
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
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
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
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, 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
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
BE Semiconductor Industries, the Dutch supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment, is up 0.4%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
The semiconductor-heavy AEX was flat, as BE Semiconductor dropped 2.9% though other AI-linked stocks edged higher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Bloom Energy BE -11.34%decrease; down pointing triangle raised its fiscal 2026 revenue and adjusted earnings per share guidance, as second quarter sales and profit climbed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
YOU HAD TO BE HERE: After the June 24 game between Brazil and Sweden, a thunderstorm passed directly over the media tent as hundreds of journalists were filing their stories.
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
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
And is this really diversification, or am I just making a huge bet on a trendy theme?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
"I am eternally grateful that I got these jobs," he responds.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
“I am very uncomfortable about people trying to ascribe religious force or a surrender of human judgment to AI models, and think it is a real safety issue,” Altman posted on X a weekend ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
I am grateful to @MarkJCarney for his sympathy for Ukrainians amid the ongoing Russian strikes.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 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
Corporate IT teams are shifting money away from traditional software and toward artificial-intelligence products, and some software companies look better positioned than others to withstand this transition.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
But Bumble and other dating-app companies including Match Group have struggled as younger users are increasingly turned off by online dating platforms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
“Some of the buffers that helped contain crude oil prices are ebbing,” McNally told MarketWatch by email Monday from Riyadh, where he was attending the 17th International Energy Forum.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
Unfortunately, our analysis shows that less than 20% of businesses who respond to positive reviews are using these playing down strategies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The Jesuits are widely known for their focus on social justice and human rights, as well as a devotion to theology, missionary work, and education.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
For now, the tone in Riyadh is “calm, resilient, and determined” despite the attack, said Rapidan’s McNally.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
Using moderately positive descriptors signals that the business is humble because they accurately acknowledge their limitations and abilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The lightweight Muse Wonder is available today for developers through the Meta Model API and Muse Code.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
Yet is holding others to potentially impossible standards fair?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Lucban is a good place for make-believe, because it is rich with legends.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
“Some of the buffers that helped contain crude oil prices are ebbing,” McNally told MarketWatch by email Monday from Riyadh, where he was attending the 17th International Energy Forum.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
Instead, the source of my disappointment was entirely interpretive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The object at the center of the dispute was Molly, a mechanical yellow bird mounted on the store’s wall and used in its magic shows.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
Known internally as “Watermelon” before the official announcement, the model launch was highly anticipated by Wall Street and industry experts.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
He was eventually moved to a ramshackle house on a muddy dead-end road.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Think back to the last time you were picking a restaurant online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
I never blast people but you my friend were an exception.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
Stokes and Atkinson were made unavailable for England's second Test defeat by New Zealand while Auvaa was not sanctioned.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Shares of Salesforce were up 1.9% on Monday, while shares of Adobe were down 1.8%.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
The lepers were fed through a small hole in the wall.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Back in March, the U.S. said it would temporarily allow Russia to sell oil that had already been loaded onto tankers at sea.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
Both companies have been more deeply integrating AI into their businesses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The nature of the reported medical emergency has not been disclosed.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
Abramovich won the case on a number of fronts, including that Yugraneft's case had been an abuse of process.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
I could easily have fallen and been trampled.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
But y’all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
"I am a flawed human being who makes mistakes and am filled with shame over this incident. I am truly very sorry," she said at the time.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Around 30 PTI supporters in Peshawar briefly chanted slogans demanding Khan's release before being dispersed by police, only to return shortly afterwards in a game of cat and mouse, AFP journalists witnessed.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
While Micron has benefited from the memory supply crunch by being able to raise prices for components, Sankar noted that pricing could start to decline in the third quarter of 2027.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
And when she’d been introduced to him, he’d taken her as a Black girl who didn’t know the first thing about being Mvskoke.
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.
