behave
Americanverb (used without object)
-
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)
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
- unbehaving adjective
- well-behaved adjective
Etymology
Origin of behave
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English behaven “to behave oneself”; equivalent to be- + have
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.
ICF allows scientists to replicate and study the effects of nuclear weapons, including how materials behave under the same extreme temperatures and pressures found inside a nuclear detonation, without an actual nuclear test.
With the bulk of earnings season behind us, it’s worth assessing how the highest profile large-cap stocks have behaved.
From Barron's
Kings and princes behaving badly have been a feature of court life, often souring public support for the institution of the monarchy itself.
The team is currently developing an improved simulation to better represent how collapsing clouds behave.
From Science Daily
Rather than testing the mirror with their own bodies, the fish used an outside object to observe how it behaved in reflected space.
From Science Daily
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.
