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
Etymology
Origin of behave
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English behaven “to behave oneself”; equivalent to be- + have
Explanation
The way you act or conduct yourself is how you behave. Teachers and parents often tell kids Behave! If you follow rules and get along with others, you behave well, while if you are nasty and rude, you behave badly. Behave can suggest acting in a polite manner, as when you tell a child (or an adult) to behave in public. We usually behave differently in different situations — like when no one is watching. If you tell someone "practice what you preach" you are pointing out that the way they behave doesn't quite match up to their words.
Vocabulary lists containing behave
Sula
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"Not-So-Starry Nights: Light Pollution Turns Night into Day"
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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.
Appeared in the October 4, 2025, print edition as 'How to Behave at a Ryder Cup'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 3, 2025
Asked if Cavendish would play a part in the Tour after winning four stages in Turkey in April, one insider responded: "Behave."
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2021
Behave otherwise and risk some killjoy in the next row hissing at you to put a sock in it.
From New York Times • Sep. 11, 2020
“My kids and I have spent months piled on the couch working our way through “How to Behave as Grownups”, aka #TheOffice,” she captioned the video of her in tears.
From Fox News • Aug. 25, 2020
“So you know who I am, then. Behave yourself for heaven’s sake!”
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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.
