believe

verb

be·lieve | \ bə-ˈlēv

believed; believing

Definition of believe

transitive verb

1a : to consider to be true or honest believe the reports you wouldn't believe how long it took

b : to accept the word or evidence of I believe you couldn't believe my ears

2 : to hold as an opinion : suppose I believe it will rain soon

intransitive verb

1a : to accept something as true, genuine, or real ideals we believe in believes in ghosts

b : to have a firm or wholehearted religious conviction or persuasion : to regard the existence of God as a fact Do you believe? —usually used with in believe in the Scriptures

2 : to have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something believe in exercise

3 : to hold an opinion : think I believe so

not believe

: to be astounded at I couldn't believe my luck

Other Words from believe Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about believe

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Synonyms & Antonyms for believe

Synonyms

accept, buy, credit, swallow, take, trust

Antonyms

disbelieve, discredit, reject

Examples of believe in a Sentence

I have watched the many ways that teachers demonstrate pleasure in what students have said or done. I used to believe that teachers needed to present a stoic face for fear of losing control—as if smiling caused bad behavior. — Nancy Mack, English Journal, September 2008 Scientists kept a close eye on Mount Saint Helens. The volcano in Washington State spewed steam and ash throughout the month, leading experts to believe that it could erupt at any time. — Time For Kids, 17 Dec. 2004 They parted as casually as any friends who believe they will meet in a few days. But each knew the other was in deadly peril of his life. — Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain, 1943 The scientists believed the reports. Many people seem to believe that theory, but I find it hard to believe. You shouldn't believe everything you read. He says he'll help us, but I don't believe what he says. They were tricked into believing that he was a doctor. He says he'll help us, but I don't believe him. She went to church because her family expected it, but she didn't really believe.

Recent Examples on the Web

Honestly, the only thing sweeter than being a friend of Meghan and Harry's is being their neighbor, which—believe it or not—is not entirely out of the question. — Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Cottage Smells Heavenly—Here's Why," 23 May 2019 Mother's Day might be over, but believe it or not, Father's Day is fast approaching. — Shanon Maglente, Good Housekeeping, "The AncestryDNA Kit Is the Perfect Father's Day Gift — And It's on Sale Today," 13 May 2019 But, believe it or not, that wasn’t the only thing fans were puzzled by. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "Everything Fans Flipped Out About on Last Night’s Game of Thrones," 13 May 2019 Estrogen: Some experts believe that higher levels of circulating estrogen may play a role in increasing libido. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "10 Questions You’ve Always Wondered About Your Libido," 15 May 2019 However, it is believed that Schumacher himself will not be seen on camera, and his accident and subsequent state of health reportedly will not be depicted in the film. — Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, "Trailer for Documentary about Formula 1 Legend Michael Schumacher to Show at Cannes," 13 May 2019 All the target states, except for Nevada, also have Senate races in 2020, a factor that the party believes will provide extra return. — Zeke Miller, The Seattle Times, "Trump campaign eyes chances to vie for states lost in 2016," 14 Apr. 2019 Specifically, brains with CTE accumulate a protein called tau (which is believed to be dislodged from brain fibers during an injury). — Brian Resnick, Vox, "What a lifetime of playing football can do to the human brain," 4 Feb. 2019 Most elite drivers believe that in racing, there are moments to push and moments to throttle down. — Sam Walker, WSJ, "Racing With Mindful Abandon," 4 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'believe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.