behave

[ bih-heyv ]

/ bɪˈheɪv /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR behave ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), be·haved, be·hav·ing.

to act in a particular way; conduct or comport oneself or itself: The ship behaves well.

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), be·haved, be·hav·ing.

to conduct or comport (oneself) in a proper manner: Sit quietly and behave yourself.

Origin of behave

1400–50; late Middle English behaven (reflexive). See be-, have

SYNONYMS FOR behave

1 perform, acquit oneself, deport oneself.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR behave ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM behave

un·be·hav·ing, adjective well-be·haved, adjective

Words nearby behave

beguine, begum, begun, behalf, behan, behave, behavior, behavior disorder, behavior medicine, behavior modification, behavior pattern

Example sentences from the Web for behave

And given how they behave at moments like this, you can see why that is.

Will 5 Million Undocumented Immigrants Take Obama's Tough Love Immigration Deal? |Ruben Navarrette Jr. |November 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
These roles include the whole moral structure of society—how you are to behave; what kind of clothing you are to wear.

Joseph Campbell on the Roots of Halloween |Joseph Campbell |October 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
So, if his father was like that, and Cumming shares his voracious sexual appetite, how does he behave differently?

Alan Cumming: The Truth About My Father |Tim Teeman |October 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
No one has to know you have a bunch of dough, and you can behave any way you want.

Bill Murray’s Words of Wisdom: On Comedy, the Greatness of In-N-Out, and Searching For Great Love |Marlow Stern |October 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Nothing about coming to a small town and telling them how to behave (or vote) is exactly democratic.

Bill Maher Finds the Worst Congressman in America |Ana Marie Cox |October 8, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The money at the door, and that everyone should behave as ladies and gentlemen, were the only things insisted upon.

The Malefactor |E. Phillips Oppenheim
I've got—for my own sake—to behave to that man as finely as he behaved to me.

The Divine Fire |May Sinclair
I soon found the only way to set her at her ease was to behave as if we were two girls on equal terms.

The Pillars of the House, Vol. II (of 2) |Charlotte M. Yonge
Two strange hounds, meeting for the first time, behave as civilly toward each other as if two men.

Birds and Bees, Sharp Eyes and, Other Papers |John Burroughs
"Thou promised to behave with greater patience," said the hermit, interrupting him.

Voltaire's Romances |Franois-Marie Arouet

British Dictionary definitions for behave

behave

/ (bɪˈheɪv) /

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

Word Origin for behave

C15: see be-, have

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

behave

verb (used without object), be·haved, be·hav·ing.

verb (used with object), be·haved, be·hav·ing.

Origin of behave

SYNONYMS FOR behave

OTHER WORDS FROM behave

Words nearby behave

Example sentences from the Web for behave

British Dictionary definitions for behave

verb

Word Origin for behave

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

behave

verb (used without object), be·haved, be·hav·ing.

verb (used with object), be·haved, be·hav·ing.

Origin of behave

SYNONYMS FOR behave

OTHER WORDS FROM behave

Words nearby behave

Words related to behave

Example sentences from the Web for behave

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for behave

verb

Word Origin for behave

British Dictionary definitions for behave