be
verb (used without object)
to exist or live.
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
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Spelling Practice, Unit 8
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Spelling Practice 1, Unit 3
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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.
See Examples For:
To the extent that significant unavoidable and genuinely catastrophic physical and financial damage to Florida crops caused by severe weather has not been addressed by other programs, federal help may be warranted.
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Intel is also expecting 2027 capital expenditures to be even higher as it rushes to meet customer demand, Zinsner says.
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According to the USDA, in 2026 farm income is expected to be lower than its near-record 2023 level, but still at or above its long-run average, and the sector’s 13% debt-to-asset ratio is surprisingly low.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Farm income is expected to be lower than its near-record 2023 level, but still at or above its long-run average.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
If Joey is successful, the American and Filipino fighters will be able to liberate the prisoners at Santo Tomas.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Be careful not to unintentionally commingle this property.
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Be it measured by box office gross or word of mouth buzz, popularity isn’t enough to define a classic.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
The “Hip to Be Square” singer said his Meniere’s disease diagnosis in early 2018 was “brutal.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Be sure to eat a good breakfast and bring a jacket just in case of rain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
I mean, if we change the list to People Who Should Also Be Facing a Community Justice Panel, I can think of two names right away: Owen Shultz and Leo Hilliard.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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 Grasser, Georg
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 Grasser, Georg
By using a bath composed of half-neutralised phenolsulphonic acid and quebracho extract in 7° Bé. solution, another piece of pelt was completely tanned in two days.
From Synthetic Tannins by Grasser, Georg
Such experiments may be done, for instance, by preparing 2° Bé. solutions of each extract and then mixing them in proportions of, say, 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, etc.
From Synthetic Tannins by Grasser, Georg
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 Grasser, Georg
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
Numerous phone calls requesting an interview with executives from B/E Aerospace, which has its headquarters in Wellington, Fla., were not returned.
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 $1 billion non-discretionary consumables business.
From Reuters ● Oct. 18, 2010
What rotten luck for you that “The Grapes of Wrath” should not only have come out be- fore your book was submitted but should have so swept the country!
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2024
Offering participants a discreet way to alert the moderator to their discomfort- for example by giving them remote buttons they can use to 'bring the researcher in' if need be- may be effective.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 15, 2023
Buteglute has given him his chance to be- to be- the most famous-ah- to do a good thing.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 20, 2023
My original encounter from the store got in line for her pic next, then be- came the photographer for the rest of the meet-and-greet.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 22, 2019
It was nearly noon be- fore I realized that we had taken on another passenger at the inn last night.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Earlier Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed head of Crimea, said air defence systems had been in action around a Kerch shipyard named after B.E.
From Reuters ● Nov. 4, 2023
"It was back in 2019 and I was sitting in my box room at home, quietly sulking and downloading application forms for jobs in PR," said the 48-year-old, who writes under the pen name B.E.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2023
The thriller is adapted from a book of the same name by B.E.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2023
It also features five commissions from the WNO: Atlanta composer B.E.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 12, 2022
Instead it was his father who did the talking, saying that the man had gone to St. Xavier’s, and then B.E.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Shares of BE Semiconductor Industries, the Dutch supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment, are up 5.5%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Album cuts like “$T. LOSER” and “WHAT IS IT LIKE, TO BE LIKED?” find Slayyyter caught up comparing herself to other artists.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Shares of BE Semiconductor Industries, the Dutch supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment, are up 2.8%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 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
You step out of your own shoes and put on someone else’s because you’re trying to BE that person for a moment.
From "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine
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
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
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
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
N/10 NaOH and a piece of bated calf skin was then introduced into a solution measuring about 2° Bé.
From Synthetic Tannins by Grasser, Georg
My future spouse has children from a previous relationship and is not as financially secure as I am.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
“I am not at war with the ministry,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
ACC Ratcliff told the BBC: "I am entirely satisfied that everything that could have been reasonably done at that time was done, and that there were no missed opportunities as a result of that information."
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
“I am not clear ... how the review for the president being in good standing was conducted,” Weber said in an interview after Morales’ yearly assignment was announced.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Girl, I am wounded. How you gonna doubt me like that?” she says, pretending to be emotionally distressed.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Irrespective of what Warsh and the administration agree, though, financial conditions are tightening, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
“The most common AI tools advisers are using are note-taking tools,” he said.
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About three-quarters of new Platinum and Gold cardholders are either millennials or members of Generation Z, according to the company.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
One of his friends is moving down soon and plans to buy in the area, he said, and his mother and grandmother are thinking of following suit.
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Gertie Hornbostel and the other prisoners at the Santo Tomas internment camp are desperate for news.
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Barry K. Goodwin is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on U.S. agricultural policy and the federal crop insurance program.
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With another conflict won, she is determined to triumph over her longest battle of all: overcoming Hansen’s disease.
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EPS was up 11% from a year before.
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The Heat explained that the posting was a mistake by an employee.
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The profit decline was driven primarily by $1.8 billion in pretax special items, the company said, including a $746 million loss related to its agreement with Britain’s BT Group to combine their respective international operations.
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The Philippines was a Spanish colony for more than three hundred years.
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In the U.S., prices for potash fertilizer were largely unaffected by the conflict.
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A continued investigation by the U.S. into alleged industrial overcapacity continues, under the same U.S. law—Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974—that the latest forced-labor allegations were made under.
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Shares were down about 2% in premarket action.
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Bright spots included Big Blue maintaining its FY26 free cash flow growth outlook of $1 billion and management’s conviction that missed deals in 2Q were slipped deals rather than lost deals, the analysts say.
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Just as wireless companies are encroaching on Charter’s core connectivity business, Charter has also been pushing deeper into the mobile industry.
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All I can say is I haven’t been shown this much interest in decades.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
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Broca is still unable to study a living brain, but he has been performing autopsies on the brains of stroke victims.
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Universal has its own interest in limiting noise from the ride, beyond being a polite neighbor, as it is still a working studio.
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According to Clark, who also authors the Capital Flows and Asset Markets blog, the financial architecture built during the Thatcher-Reagan revolution of the 1980s is being dismantled.
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Truelove told her he preferred living in a subway tunnel to being on the street, because people didn’t bother him down there.
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"You men are being punished for your bad behavior," Don Quixote told the convicts, "but since I know you don't want to go where you're being taken, I'll ask this guard to set you free."
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
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.