behest

be·hest

noun \bi-ˈhest, bē-\

Definition of BEHEST

1

: an authoritative order : command

2

: an urgent prompting <called at the behest of my friends>

Examples of BEHEST

1. <I only made the change at the author's behest.>

Origin of BEHEST

Middle English, promise, command, from Old English behǣs promise, from behātan to promise, from be- + hātan to command, promise — more at hight

First Known Use: 12th century

Related to BEHEST

Synonyms

command, charge, commandment, decree, dictate, direction, directive, do, edict, imperative, injunction, instruction, order, word

Related Words

demand, requirement; mandate; countermand, counterorder; law, precept, prescript, prescription, rule; ordinance, regulation, statute

Near Antonyms

appeal, entreaty, petition, plea, urging; proposal, recommendation, suggestion

Rhymes with BEHEST

abreast, abscessed, appressed, armrest, arrest, at best, at rest, attest, backrest, beau geste, bed rest, bequest, blood test, congest, conquest, contest, crow's nest, depressed, detest, devest, digest, distressed, divest, egest, eighth rest, field-test, flight-test, footrest, gabfest, half rest, hard-pressed, headrest, high-test, hillcrest, hope chest, houseguest, imprest, incest, infest, ingest, inquest, interest, invest, Key West, lovefest, love nest, Mae West, mare's nest, Midwest, molest, northwest, patch test, posttest, pretest, professed, protest, redbreast, repressed, request, revest, road test, scratch test, screen test, sea chest, skin test, slop chest, slugfest, southwest, spot test, steam chest, stress test, suggest, Trieste, t-test, unblessed, undressed, unrest, unstressed, war chest, whole rest, Wild West