behold

[ bih-hohld ]

/ bɪˈhoʊld /

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See synonyms for: behold / beheld / beholding / beholds on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), be·held, be·hold·ing.

to observe; look at; see.

interjection

look; see: And, behold, three sentries of the King did appear.

OTHER WORDS FOR behold

1 regard, gaze upon, view; watch; discern.

See synonyms for behold on Thesaurus.com

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The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

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effect

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Origin of behold

First recorded before 900; Middle English beholden, Old English behaldan “to keep”; see be-, hold¹

OTHER WORDS FROM behold

be·hold·a·ble, adjectivebe·hold·er, nounun·be·hold·a·ble, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use behold in a sentence

We decided to Google it and lo and behold, we found out that it wasn’t that crazy of an idea.
Still fighting for parental rights in Ireland|Ranae von Meding|February 14, 2021|Washington Blade
Snow in the District typically draws crowds to Capitol Hill, widely beheld as one of the best places in the city for sledding.
After 2 to 4 inches of snow, an icy night ahead in D.C. area. Snow showers possible Monday.|Jason Samenow, Dan Stillman, Andrew Freedman|February 1, 2021|Washington Post
In June 2019, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi described the Hong Kong demonstrations as “a beautiful sight to behold.”
China Has Reacted to the Storming of the U.S. Capitol by Comparing It to the Wrecking of Hong Kong's Legislature|Amy Gunia / Hong Kong|January 11, 2021|Time
The Communist Youth League of China on its official Weibo account called the protests on Capitol Hill the most "beautiful site to behold," mocking Nancy Pelosi's description of demonstrations in Hong Kong in 2019.
China Has Reacted to the Storming of the U.S. Capitol by Comparing It to the Wrecking of Hong Kong's Legislature|Amy Gunia / Hong Kong|January 11, 2021|Time

Arabella, who was sitting at work, rose on beholding a stranger—a little confused—but by no means ungracefully so.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
Beholding Mrs. Pontellier make her appearance, the girl had at once suspected a lovers' rendezvous.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
One weakness Ida could not overcome; the repugnance to beholding herself in her mourning garments.
Alone|Marion Harland
Can I be as gay as you, after losing the late king, and now beholding my son's kingdom about to burst into flames?
Catherine de' Medici|Honore de Balzac
He had worked across from the left column, and we were soon beholding his bright jacket in a tangle of logs and stumps.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter

British Dictionary definitions for behold

behold

/ (bɪˈhəʊld) /

verb -holds, -holding or -held (often used in the imperative to draw attention to something) archaic, or literary

to look (at); observe

Derived forms of behold

beholder, noun

Word Origin for behold

Old English bihealdan; related to Old High German bihaltan, Dutch behouden; see be-, hold

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

behold

OTHER WORDS FOR behold

Origin of behold

OTHER WORDS FROM behold

Words related to behold

How to use behold in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for behold

Derived forms of behold

Word Origin for behold